Blessed Eyes
by VagueJester
Summary: Naruto's life was anything but easy. But all that starts to change when a woman finds him after a particularly harsh beating. Trials that will test everything he stands for are coming, and failure is not an option.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey there! This is my first Naruto fic. It's gonna be a probably a small harem since I think Naruto deserves all the love he can get, but seeing as I haven't chosen who will be a part of it, I'm leaving it up to you guys to decide who you want to see in it. The only characters I won't be considering are Tsunade and Shizune as I have other plans for them. Odds are I'm either gonna be starting with Kurenai or Hinata, but I will probably flip a coin or something to decide between those two. Anyway, I started writing this because the idea has been swirling around my head for sometime, and I wanted to practice writing a more action heavy kind of story compared to Scattered Petals.**

 **I hope you guys like it and tell me what you think!**

It was the eighth anniversary of the defeat of the fearsome Nine-Tailed Fox Demon and the people of Konoha were celebrating all throughout the village. She smiled as she watched the celebrations from her perch atop the Hokage Monument, the feelings of unity and happiness washing over her from the people below. But something pricked at her mind as she immersed herself in the feelings of the village. Amidst the happiness there were small concentrations of sadness, particularly near the cemetery, as well as a large congregation of hatred and anger. While both were somewhat to be expected, considering the nature and history of the day the villagers were commemorating, she focused on the mass of fury gathered near the opposite edge of the village and felt the sadistic glee lying just beneath. This feral happiness grew as the group emitting these feelings began moving quite quickly through one of the gates towards the forest surrounding the village. She continued to watch for a moment before deciding to follow as she felt several surges of chakra coming from the group.

She leapt off the mountain and it took her just over a minute to make it to the top of the wall on the other side of the village just out of sight of the two shinobi guarding the village gate. She paused as she felt the mass of anger stop moving about three kilometers from the village. The cruel joy grew and her eyes widened as within the nauseating mixture of hatred and euphoria was the smallest pinprick of fear.

Faster than she had ever moved before she dove into the forest, only sparing the barest thought to making sure she remained unnoticed. She came to a stop on a branch high up in a tree overlooking the clearing where the mob of civilians and shinobi alike were gathered. She watched as they shouted and jeered as several of them ganged up on the source of fear, brandishing weapons and jutsu alike. Eventually they grew bored and moved away to give another group a turn, and as they rejoined the rest of the mob she saw the target of their malice.

It took everything she had to rein in her anger and not wipe everything in that clearing along with the rest of that puny village off the face of the planet when she looked upon the broken, bleeding form of the boy. His hands and feet had been pinned to the tree behind him with kunai while not a single part of him was not covered in cuts, scrapes, bruises, and burns. What remained of his clothes were in tatters, and from what she could see, he was extremely malnourished.

The next group had taken their place and started attacking him when she decided that enough was enough. She was just about to jump down and erase these disgusting mortals from this plane when the boy raised his head and looked directly at her as if sensing her intentions. With what little energy he had, he gave her a minute shake of his head.

She could feel his will fighting valiantly against his fear and desire for the end of his pain. She could feel the sadness and loneliness deep in his heart along with the smallest speck anger and bitterness festering at the bottom of his heart. Her eyes widened in understanding as she focused more on the boy and felt a separate mass of chakra within him.

This boy was the container of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. That was why the villagers hated him so. They mistook the host for his tenant and were using him as a justifiable outlet for their darker urges and feelings. Knowing this, she was surprised by how small and deeply buried the boys own darker feelings were.

She contemplated this and came to a decision just as a villager gave a shout and cleaved a butcher knife through his right shoulder forcing the boy to close his eyes and throw his head back in pain. His mouth was open as if to shout his agony to the heavens but the most that would come out was rattling gasp.

"Hah! Can't make much noise without those vocal chords of yours, can you demon?" The man jeered as the others of the group laughed along.

Deciding she had seen enough, she focused her chakra into a genjutsu and used the illusion to will everyone in the mob to leave and return to their homes. Though it was not nearly enough in her opinion, she would follow through with the boy's wish to leave them unharmed, at least until she knew his reasoning. She waited until the last villager had left and dropped down to the ground just as the boy managed to wriggle the kunai impaled through his left hand out of the tree. He had put the handle of the kunai in his mouth and started to pull when the last of the flesh connecting his arm to his torso gave with a sickening tearing sound. His mouth opened once more with a silent howl as his body started to drop without the support of his other arm in the tree.

Acting on instinct, she was in front of him in less than a second and gently catching his falling form. She pulled the kunai out of his feet and looked down at him with teary eyes. It amazed her that even on the cusp of unconsciousness, she could see glimpses of a mind behind those fading eyes that analysed her with a speed that she didn't even think the boy was aware of as it blurred the line between rational observation and honed instinct.

It didn't take long for him to succumb to the blood loss from his severed limb though and she started to pour her chakra into him in order to keep him alive while his slumbering tenant and what she could feel was inherited genetics did what they could to heal him. She wished she could have done more, but the laws governing her were quite strict.

That being said, though, there was no way she could just leave him there. She did a quick scan of his memories and was disgusted, though no longer quite as surprised, to see how horrible his life was. Deciding at that moment that the young man in her arms was more worthy than any other, she scanned his memories more closely and was both relieved and angered that he considered the leader of this village a sort of surrogate grandfather when the man allowed such cruelties to befall not just one of his own villagers, but a boy he considered himself close to.

Standing, she gently cradled the boy, Naruto, to her chest and almost cooed at the gentle expression on his blood and tear stained face as he cuddled closer to her. Her resolve set, she didn't even bother moving, not wanting to jostle her charge, and focused on her destination as she focused on the location of this so-called Hokage.

Perhaps it was time for the God of Shinobi to receive a visit from a _real_ God…

*(OoO)*

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned as he signed yet another piece of paperwork. Though the sounds of his villagers enjoying the festivities that night should have filled him with content as they drifted through his window, he couldn't help but worry for one boy in particular.

Despite his best efforts to convince the people of Konoha that Uzumaki Naruto was a hero who kept a calamity made flesh at bay with his every breath, they simply were too lost in their pain and hate and ignorance to believe the boy was anything but the monster he housed. Recognizing his failure to uphold the last dying wish of Naruto's father, he declared any knowledge concerning the boy's status as a Jichuuriki classified at the highest level, only to be discussed with others by the Hokage, or Naruto himself once he knew.

Unfortunately that plan too backfired as the secret still got out, causing the rest of the adult population to regard it as the village's biggest open secret, and for their hate to trickle down and infect the minds of their children.

Hiruzen sighed as he once again contemplated telling Naruto the truth about what he held within himself. He knew the boy was far more intelligent than he let on, and it was only a matter of time before he pieced the truth together himself. This line of thinking led to him wondering about how Minato and Kushina would react if they knew how poorly their son was treated. It always broke his heart whenever Naruto asked him about his heritage and he had to lie through his teeth. Both Minato and Kushina were legends in their own right, and if any of their numerous enemies knew they had a son, he wouldn't last a week.

Heaving another sigh, Hiruzen reached for another piece of paperwork when his office was lit up by a pillar of brilliant white fire. He tensed as the fire died down and a figure appeared. By the time the fire was gone, leaving a tall beautiful woman with flowing black hair standing in front of his desk, his four ANBU bodyguards had sprung from their place hidden in the shadows and had their swords drawn against various vital points on her body.

"Who are you, and how did you get in here?" The ANBU wearing a dog mask asked.

Hiruzen watched as the woman looked Kakashi up and down before turning her attention back to him and leveling a glare at him so powerful it made him want to crawl forward on his hands and knees and beg for forgiveness.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, Thrid Hokage of Konohagakure, I find you lacking." She said calmly.

Forcing his face to remain calm in spite of the crushing fear coursing through him, Hiruzen looked her up and down. At first glance, she did not appear to be much of a threat. Her body had an almost soft look to it, which along with her elegant white and orange robes made her look like a member of royalty. Even so, he remained wary. One didn't get to be as old as him by taking things at face value.

"It would be wise to answer my friend's question, lest you find yourself lacking a head, madam," Hiruzen replied, struggling to maintain his calm collected façade.

The woman's eyes burned with a cold fire. "I see no reason to lower myself to answering the questions of a broken man who uses his gifted eye to look only on the losses of the past as he hides behind the mask of a dog." Hiruzen's eyes widened while Kakashi stiffened before he and the other ANBU moved to incapacitate her before bringing her to interrogation. They didn't even have a chance to move as all the ANBU around her slumped to the floor unconscious when a massive amount killing intent fell upon the room. Hiruzen gasped as a pressure even greater than the one he felt eight years ago pushed down on him. "Nor do I take commands from an old man whose fall from grace has allowed the people of his village to ruin the life of the purest soul among them!"

Hiruzen held himself up on his desk and his eyes widened as the bundle in the woman's arms shifted and he caught sight of a flash of blonde hair. "I d-don't care who you are," he gasped as he fought with everything he had to rise to his feet. "If you s-so much as think about hurting Naruto I will make sure you never leave this room!"

Surprisingly, the pressure on him lessened as the woman gave him the barest hint of a smile.

"Now isn't that funny," she mused as she carried Naruto over to the couch in his office and sat down.

"What is?"

Her face softened even more as she looked down at the slowly breathing boy in her arms. "My name is Ameterasu." Hiruzen's eyes widened in recognition briefly before narrowing in suspicion. "I find it funny that you would challenge and threaten me, a Goddess who could wipe you from this plane of existence with nary a thought, while under the presumption I meant to do young Naruto harm, but you won't lift a finger against the people of your village –the strongest of whom could hardly pose a threat to you, even now in such a state of… atrophy –when they do this."

Ameterasu shifted her arm to reveal the broken and bloody form of Naruto. In a flash, Hiruzen was in front of the boy, looking him over. When his eyes fell on the bloody stump where Naruto's right arm was supposed to be, he could no longer restrain himself. Tears fell from his eyes and a sob tore its way through his throat.

"Naruto… I'm so sorry!" Kneeling on the floor, Hiruzen Sarutobi wept for the injustice of the world. He wept for the pain the boy he saw as another grandson must have been in. He wept for his own weakness and stupidity for allowing this to happen behind his back. After an indefinite amount of time, his tears slowed and he felt a soft, warm hand cradle his cheek. He lifted his face to look into the warm silver eyes of the woman above him. "Please," he begged, "If you are who you say you are, please heal him!"

Ameterasu looked down at him with pity. "I'm afraid I can't do that. The laws that govern me are much stricter than yours. At the moment it is only my chakra that is keeping him alive. If I stop providing it to him, not even his regenerative abilities or those of his tenant will be able to save him before he succumbs to his wounds."

"Then why have you come here?" Hiruzen asked. "Was it just so I could see the suffering my failures have caused?"

"You think far too highly of yourself Hiruzen Sarutobi," Ameterasu replied snidly. "I descended to this plane because I foresaw a great conflict. One so terrible it threatened all I have created. The laws I created may prevent me and any other being not of this plane from interfering directly with the affairs of its inhabitants but it does not prevent me from delivering blessings upon the select few I deem worthy."

"And you found Naruto to be worthy?"

"That remains to be seen," Ameterasu replied. "But after having observed his memories, I have deemed him fit to take my test, and in order to do that he must remain on this plane."

Hiruzen watched stupefied as Ameterasu held out one of her hands with the palm up. There was a bright flash of fire and out of nowhere she was suddenly holding a large sphere of what looked to him to be a shiny dark metal. She took the sphere to the stump of Naruto's arm and pressed the two together. His eyes widened as the metal seemed to become fluid before covering the remainder of the boy's arm. Naruto writhed in pain as the black metal destroyed what remained of his arm, and Ameterasu stroked her hand through his hair, shushing him quietly while the metal bonded to his torso providing a black covering over the edge of his pectoral and collarbone. He continued to toss and turn in her lap as out of the now flat stump more black liquid started to flow before solidifying.

Hiruzen couldn't tear his eyes away as the black fluid solidified into a perfect replacement for the bones of Naruto's arm. Once the bones were finished forming, what looked like thousands of tiny black threads shot out and coiled around the bones forming an exact facsimile of the his muscles.

With the reconstruction finished, Naruto settled back into Ameterasu's lap. "Now," Ameterasu said quietly, "I may not be able to heal him, but someone else can."

There was a flash of fire as the Goddess teleported someone else into the office, and Hiruzen couldn't keep the shock off his face when he heard a familiar voice shout.

"Shizune! More sake!"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm back again! So I know the last chapter was very cliche, but hopefully this next one will be a little more original. Anyway, thanks for the couple reviews I've already gotten, I love hearing what you guys have to say.**

"Damn, I must have passed out again," Tsunade said to herself. After all, how else would she explain happily drinking her ghosts away in a bar on the other side of the Land of Fire one moment only to suddenly appear in her old sensei's office the next.

"You're not dreaming, Tsunade," Hiruzen said from his position on the floor.

Tsunade turned to face her old mentor and noted how he was kneeling over the lap of some regal-looking woman. The look of contempt on the woman's face set her on edge.

"Then how did I suddenly wind up in the last place I would ever want to be?"

"That would be my doing." Tsunade turned her attention to the haughty looking woman and was about to give a scathing retort when she took notice of the boy laying in her lap. She felt every one of her muscles lock up at the sight of his broken and bloody form before she started trembling from head to toe. The ghosts she had been so desperately trying to drown just a few minutes ago.

 _He's even smaller than Nawaki was,_ she thought dimly. Visions of the past rose unbidden in her mind's eye. She barely heard Hiruzen calling her name or the stranger sitting above him speaking as the memory of her beloved brother's laughter filled her ears. She remembered his vibrant smile, and the determined fire in his eyes whenever he puffed up his little chest in pride and declared loudly to all who would listen his dream of one day becoming Hokage and protecting everyone. Eventually, though, her mind started to go down the same inevitable path it always did when she caught herself reminiscing her brother or her fiancé. Images of his dead and mutilated body flashed before her eyes. Her breathing quickened when the images became more gruesome and horrible as her imagination showed her how much pain he must have been in while he screamed for her over and over. A ring of darkness steadily grew from the edge of her vision, and before she knew it she was engulfed in the sweet release of unconsciousness.

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

She opened her eyes and looked around only to find herself, Hiruzen, and the strange woman holding the boy standing around in some sort of sewer. Strangely though, the boy was now bereft of any of the wounds she had seen on him previously. Though now she did note that his right arm seemed to be comprised of some strange, dark, metal cables coiled together to form the muscles of the arm. Seeing that the source of her anxiety was gone, Tsunade immediately scowled as she regained her senses.

"Alright, Sarutobi-sensei, what's going on?" She demanded. "Where are we, and why would you show me something like that?"

Hiruzen opened his mouth to reply but was promptly cut off by the haughty stranger. "Tsunade Senju, as I said before, I brought you to me. I examined the memories of your sensei and he seems to think rather highly of your abilities in the healing arts. It was originally intended for you to heal the boy I carry with me, but after witnessing your rather visceral reaction upon seeing the state he was in, I find myself housing doubts as to the quality of your skills."

Tsunade growled and clenched her fist as this stranger stood before her and had the gall to insult one of the few things about herself she still took pride in. "Look, lady, I don't know who you are, but if you took a dive through Sarutobi-sensei's memories, you should have found two things. I'm the best damn medic in the _world_ , everyone thinks highly of my skills, and given that you must now know what I've been through, I have no loyalty or obligation to Konoha or its people."

"This isn't about Konoha, Tsunade!" Hiruzen exclaimed. "This is about a little boy who has suffered far too much and who needs your help!"

"For what? He looks fine now." Once again her mentor was cut off as the strange woman turned without warning and started walking deeper into the depths of the sewer. "Hey! Where are you going?"

"There is one other who must be privy to what I am about to say, and I do not wish to repeat myself." The woman said coolly without even looking over her shoulder. Not seeing any other option, Tsunade exchanged a brief look with her old mentor before they both took off after her.

"Hey, lady!" She called as they caught up with the woman. "At least tell us where we are." As they walked, the sound of wind gusting at periodic intervals steadily grew louder and Tsunade couldn't shake the feeling of trepidation slowly crawling up her spine.

"We are in young Naruto's mindscape," the woman answered.

"That's why he suddenly isn't injured," Tsunade concluded. The woman nodded, but it seemed like Hiruzen was only put on edge.

"But if we're in Naruto's mindscape, then that means-"

He was cut off as the narrow corridor suddenly opened up into an endlessly expansive room and a deep, menacing chuckled echoed around them, shaking both student and master. Their eyes were drawn to the far side of the room where behind a massive cage with a paper bearing the symbol for _Seal_ sat over the lock. Behind the bars of the cage, a massive pair of glowing red eyes slowly opened, followed by a feral Cheshire grin comprised entirely of razor sharp fangs.

"So, after eight years my warden finally deigns me worthy of a visit." A deep, unending feeling of malice followed the booming voice and Tsunade looked over to see even Hiruzen struggling to remain standing under the titanic pressure of the creature's chakra and killing intent. "And it seems he even brought me some snacks."

"Kyuubi, enough with the theatrics," the woman ordered calmly. Tsunade's eyes widened as she put the pieces together. It seemed that even in Konoha, Jinchuuriki were hard-pressed to escape from living a life of suffering. "Even you can see that the boy will not awaken until I allow it."

"Then why come here?" The beast asked with no small amount of disdain. "Even creatures as _dim_ as you should recognise the danger of entering my container's mind."

"Be wary of your tone, Fox," The woman said with narrowed eyes. "I have been shown more disrespect on this night than I would normally allow, and my patience for it, even in ignorance, grows thin."

Tsunade was shocked that someone could address the strongest of the Tailed-Beasts with such derision. Her shock grew as the fox roared in anger and the pressure of its chakra increased forcing both her and Hiruzen to their knees while the massive killing intent made her shake with fear.

" _WHY WOULD SHOW YOU, WHO ARE NO MORE THAN INSECTS SCURRYING BELOW THE FEET OF A BEING SUCH AS I, ANY RESPECT?! ALL YOU DO IS LIE AND MANIPULATE AND CONTROL! BECAUSE OF YOU I WAS FORCED INTO IMPRISONEMENT FOR A THIRD TIME WITH NAUGHT BUT SCANT MOMENTS TO ENJOY MY FREEDOM BETWEEN BEFORE BEING FORCED INTO ENSLAVEMENT AND CAPTURED ONCE MORE!_ "

Her surprise only grew when the woman remained unfazed by the massive wave of fury the fox was emitting, only narrowing her eyes before the pressure and killing intent were forcibly pushed back. Not a moment later, the woman focused her own pressure upon the fox, and even though the beast was the focal point of her ire, Tsunade found herself pressed flat against the ground as the woman's pressure made that of the fox feel like nothing more than being a few feet underwater.

Even the Kyuubi itself was forced to the floor under the gargantuan pressure of the woman's power. Her voice was calm and collected, but resounded loudly off the walls while contain a hidden fire underneath.

"You may be one of the most powerful beings on this plane, Kyuubi, but your arrogance and bitterness will not be tolerated in my presence. My name is Ameterasu, Goddess of the Sun. You will listen to what I have to say, and you will respect the situation in which you all find yourselves. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-yes, Ameterasu-sama." The Kyuubi replied, for once, in a tone bereft of malice.

Ameterasu smiled and the unbelievable pressure vanished in an instant. "Good." She waited for Tsunade and Hiruzen to return to their feet before indicating they follow her further into the room. They came to a stop less than twenty feet from the bars of the Kyuubi's cage. She then took a seat on the floor, laying Naruto down in her lap and stroking his hair. "Now, I will repeat what I said to Hiruzen Sarutobi when I first arrived in his office. Normally, beings such as I do not interfere with the goings on of the inhabitants of this plane. But, there is something coming. I cannot tell what exactly, but I do know it will affect all I have created on this world. Knowing this, I journeyed to your plane to try and find one worthy of receiving my blessing in hopes they will help protect my creations."

"And you think my container is worthy?" Kyuubi asked skeptically.

"That remains to be seen. I had hoped to do this after he had awoken, but due to certain unforeseen circumstances," she turned her gaze upon Tsunade, and the legendary Sannin felt herself flushing in shame, "I had to adjust my plans. Instead, you three will bear witness while I speak with him. He will not be aware of your presence, but hopefully, you all will gain something from hearing this boy's words."

As Ameterasu finished, Tsunade noticed the boy beginning to stir in her lap. Ameterasu looked down at him and smiled softly as he slowly opened his eyes with a groan.

"Hello, Naruto-kun."

Naruto finally opened his eyes and Tsunade saw the brightest pair of blue eyes shining back at the goddess. "Hi, Kami-sama."

Ameterasu chuckled and continued to run her hand through his spiky blonde hair. "Why do you call me that?"

"Well, you're being real nice to me, though that might be because I'm dreaming. You saved me from those villagers, you look really strong, like stronger than jiji and he's the strongest in the village. Also you're really pretty. Almost as pretty as Tenshi-chan."

Ameterasu raised an eyebrow curiously. "Tenshi-chan?"

Naruto's smile grew into the picture of happiness, and Tsunade couldn't help but smile at the sight of it. "Yeah! You sent her to me right?" An image of a young girl floated in the air above Naruto. She was maybe five or six years older than him with long black hair and deep crimson eyes. Beside her, Hiruzen chuckled and she turned to face him inquisitively.

"That's Kurenai Yuhi," He informed them. "She's just made chunin and is thought to be on the fast track to jonin due to her prodigious skill in genjutsu."

"Sometimes she brings me food when I can't find her and she's the nicest person that I ever met! Whenever she comes to visit my box, she uses a special jutsu that makes the villagers stay away. Also when she smiles, you should see it Kami-sama! It's like everything that makes me sad isn't there anymore!" Ameterasu laughed at the display of enthusiasm Naruto showed when talking about the girl he was clearly enamoured with. "Hey, since this is a dream, do you think you could bring her here too?"

"Why do you think this is a dream, Naruto-kun?" Ameterasu asked, curious as to how the bow came to that conclusion.

"Well, I can't really tell where we are since it's just you and me here, but I don't think I'm in the hospital." Naruto explained. "Also, I can talk too. I couldn't when you found me remember? Those guys cut up my neck so I couldn't scream when they attacked me. That reminds me, are you the one who gave me this new arm?" He reached up and watched as the strange black muscles on his hand moved with his fingers. "It's really cool!"

Tsunade found herself shaking with the casual way the boy talked about being dismembered and having his vocal chords cut out, as if it was a common occurrence. She turned to her fellow observers saw similar looks of rage.

"They told me he was safe in the orphanage," Hiruzen muttered lowly. Meanwhile the Kyuubi was merely glowering, though she could feel a low rumble shaking the ground beneath her coming from the cage.

She turned her attention back to the goddess and the child as Ameterasu spoke. "Your welcome, Naruto. I'm glad you like it. Now, I have a question for you. How would you like to receive a gift from me?"

"What do I got to give you for it?" Naruto replied almost immediately.

"Why do you think you would need to give me anything?" Ameterasu asked. Tsunade was saddened by the lack of trust in someone as young as Naruto.

"Well, even though I know you're not like the villagers who would try to rip me off or give me something dangerous, I still think you want me to give you something in return. My box used to be under another kid's window, and sometimes I could hear his mom tell him stories at night. In one of them you give some guy a magic sword and in exchange he gives you a part of his heart."

This made Ameterasu burst into laughter as she pulled Naruto even closer to her still. The boy didn't seem to mind as he buried his head in her chest in an attempt to soak up as much affection as he could.

"It seems you are too wise for my tricks, Naruto-kun," Ameterasu said once she had calmed down. Naruto simply smiled proudly and puffed out his chest at her praise.

"Of course I am! You're talking to the future Hokage of Konoha. Besides, I'm way smarter than that guy in the story."

"Oh, how so?" Ameterasu asked and Tsunade started to fear for the boy as his arrogance might lead to an unhappy goddess.

"'Cause, in the story you said he had to give you a part of his heart and you would give him his magic sword. He gave you the part that let him feel love, which is dumb. What's the point of being strong if you don't have any precious people to protect?"

The simplistic idealism would have made Tsunade snort and laugh at its naïveté had she heard it before entering Naruto's mindscape, but the way he said it and the fiery determination burning behind his eyes in spite of what he'd been through made her think that maybe Dan and Nawaki might not have been so foolish after all.

"Alright, Naruto-kun," Ameterasu said after a moment of thought, "In exchange for whatever you desire, what part of your heart would you give me?"

"That's easy," Naruto stated smugly, "instead of the part of me that feels love, I'll give you the part that feels hate."

Ameterasu laughed once more and Tsunade couldn't help but smile herself at the simple brilliance of it. The boy was so determined to reach his goal of being a protector that any feelings that, while completely justifiable in her opinion, would get in the way of it.

"That's a great choice, Naruto-kun. Now, what do you want in exchange?"

Naruto frowned in concentration for a couple of minutes as he thought her offer through. Tsunade was on the edge of her metaphorical seat as she imagined what sort outlandish thing was about to be created out of the combination of a child's imagination and a goddess' power.

"In exchange, I want," Naruto paused again as he seemed to go through his train of thought one more time before continuing. "To know how to read!"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm on a bit of a roll this week so here's yet another chapter. I'm finding this is quite fun to write and hope you guys will stick by me as the next chapter is gonna be ramping things up and pretty much hurling us into the action.**

Even the mighty Kyuubi couldn't keep its eyes from widening upon hearing Naruto's request.

"He does know he can ask for anything, right?" Tsunade asked the room in general.

Ameterasu managed to control her surprise but did raise an eyebrow in curiosity. "Are you sure, Naruto-kun?" She asked.

Naruto grinned and nodded enthusiastically. "Yup. They never taught me to read at the orphanage before I got kicked out, so I figure you can teach me."

"Why not have one of your friends teach you?"

"Well, Jiji is too busy," Naruto explained. This made Hiruzen drop his head in shame at failing his surrogate grandson once again. "Ayame-neechan and Teuchi-ojisan have their shop, and they lose enough customers as it is by serving me. I don't wanna get them in more trouble by being seen teaching me stuff. Tenshi-chan might teach me, but I don't see her often enough, and when I do I wanna do other stuff with her."

Ameterasu nodded sadly at his reasoning. Clearly, the boy was almost selfless to a fault due to his poor treatment convincing him he lacked self-worth. "And what would you do if I gave you the ability to read?"

Naruto frowned in thought for a moment. "Well, I wanna be a shinobi so I can keep Jiji and my other precious people safe. And if I wanna help keep Jiji safe, that means I have to be really strong like him. But Jiji is also called The Professor by lots of people, which I think means he's really smart. So, if I wanna be a great shinobi, that means I have to get really smart as well as really strong. So Kami-sama, I guess the first thing I would do if you taught me how to read is sneak into the library and read everything there. Then I could train and make myself stronger in secret."

"Why in secret, Naruto-kun?"

"Because, that way no one will know how strong I am, and the villagers won't get more scared of me and hurt me more."

At this point Tsunade had tears in her eyes as she listened to everything Naruto said. She knew the life of a Jinchuuriki was not an easy one, but to hear such atrocities were committed against such a pure, kind-hearted boy made her chest ache with sadness as she wanted nothing more than to hold the boy in her arms.

Ameterasu smiled as she leaned down and kissed Naruto on the forehead, making the boy blush and giggle from the soft affection before a rush of information flooded his brain. "There you go, Naruto-kun. You can now read anything and understand what it is saying."

"Thank you, Kami-sama," Naruto replied quietly, his face glowing with happiness. Now he was going to be able to be the strongest shinobi ever and protect all his precious people!

"Are you sure this was all you wanted from me, Naruto-kun?" Ameterasu asked. "I can see in your heart that there is still something you desire."

The smile dropped from Naruto's face as he shifted uncomfortably in Ameterasu's lap. "Well, I mean, there is one other thing I've always wanted, but I can't ask you for it."

"Oh? And what is it that you want that even I cannot give you?" Ameterasu asked curiously.

Naruto looked down and Tsunade barely kept herself from crying out when she saw the pain in his eyes and heard the loneliness in his voice. "I'd really like to have a mom. But I can't ask you for that, because it wouldn't be fair to her if she was forced to take care of me." Tears started leaking out of his eyes and Naruto struggled to make his shaky voice audible. "I would want her to love me and take care of me because she wanted to, not because she had to." Finally, his composure was broken and a sob ripped its way out of his throat.

Ameterasu held him close and whispered soft comforts in his ear as she stroked his hair. Within minutes he had returned to a peaceful slumber and she slowly stood up with him in her arms before addressing the rest of the group.

"I believe it is safe to say that this boy is worthy of receiving my blessing," she said looking each of them in the eye.

"Ameterasu-sama," Kyuubi rumbled, its deep voice tinged with what might have passed for sadness, "I request that you show me the memories of my container. I wish to see for myself the state of the life he has been living."

Ameterasu nodded and walked forward towards the cage. "Very well, Kyuubi."

Tsunade and Hiruzen watched with bated breath as a claw the size of a small house descended between the bars and, with more care and control than they thought possible of a living natural disaster, gently touched the tip against Naruto's forehead. There was a momentary flash before the massive chakra and furious killing intent forced both legendary shinobi to their knees as the fox threw itself bodily at the bars of its cage.

" _LET ME OUT! I WILL RAZE THAT VILLAGE TO THE GROUND FOR THE CRIMES IT HAS COMMITTED! TO INFLICT SUCH SUFFERING ON A CHILD DESERVES NOTHING LESS THAN THE MOST PAINFUL OF DEATHS! I WILL SHOW THEM THE TRUE POWER OF A DEMON! AND THIS TIME IT WILL BE OF MY OWN FREE WILL!_ "

"That's quite enough, Kyuubi," Ameterasu ordered. "If you truly feel for the boy, you can help him achieve his goals."

"Ameterasu-sama, I swear to you, for all this boy has seen in such a short time, I will give him unfettered access to whatever chakra I can. I will even help him control it when the time comes."

Ameterasu seemed pleased with the Kyuubi's words as she took a few steps forward and placed her hand on the center of the cage. Her hand glowed briefly and the Kyuubi's giant red eyes widened from the darkness of its seal.

"I have restored your Yin half, Kyuubi. You are now back to your original strength, and while I'm sure you are more than aware that your ability to corrode the seal before you has dramatically increased, you have made an oath to me. Do not take it lightly." If possible, the Kyuubi had grown even larger than it already was before as it nodded its gargantuan head in understanding. Turning around, Ameterasu addressed the other two. "With that business done, I believe it is time we return to the physical plane."

Tsunade felt a strange tug from behind her navel as darkness engulfed her, and before she knew it they were all back in the Hokage's office. This time she didn't even flinch at the sight of the blood covering Naruto from head to toe before rushing to kneel in front of him next to her old sensei. She immediately started healing him, her eyes continuously returning to his soft, peaceful face as she worked.

"How is he doing?" Hiruzen asked quietly.

"It's not good," Tsunade replied. "He's suffered major blood loss and there's traces of tetanus in his system, though the Kyuubi's chakra is helping to destroy it. This new arm of his is very interesting. It seems to be some sort of almost organic metal and even has its own chakra pathways. The rest of his wounds seem to be healing rather quickly, though there is going to be some pretty extensive scarring. The worst is his throat, though. Even with Kyuubi's help, the damage to his vocal chords is too extensive to perfectly repair. It's unlikely he'll be able to speak more than a hoarse whisper, if at all."

Tsunade continued working extensively, even as Ameterasu leaned down to plant yet another kiss on Naruto's forehead. Her eyes didn't even leave her work as a bright flash of light originated from where the Goddess had kissed him, or when she gently slid him off her lap and stood up. In fact, it wasn't until she had stabilized him and Naruto was lying peacefully on the couch that she even cast a glance at the other two standing over her.

Ameterasu, happy that Tsunade's work was done and she had both their attention reached inside the sleeve of her kimono and pulled out a simple-looking scroll with an ornate white and orange seal on it.

"I have found Naruto Uzumaki to be truly worth of receiving my blessing," she declared handing Hiruzen the scroll. "I have bestowed upon him the power of a true leader, and in this scroll are the teachings necessary for him to master that power."

Hiruzen opened the scroll and read the first few lines. "The Kunshugan," he read.

"Monarch Eye, well isn't that an appropriate name," Tsunade quipped before turning her attention back to Naruto. She didn't fight the soft smile that rose to her face. Her mind made up, she turned back to face her old mentor, a look of resolution on her face. "Sarutobi-sensei, I wish to adopt Naruto Uzumaki."

Her determination quickly turned to anger when Hiruzen sighed loudly before walking around his desk and slumping in his chair. "I cannot allow you to do that, Tsunade."

"What do you mean you can't do that?!" Tsunade exclaimed. "You heard him in his mindscape, the one thing he wants most in life is to have a mother who chooses to love him and take care of him and the moment someone asks to fill that role, you shoot them down?!"

"Your sensei is correct, Tsunade Senju," Ameterasu said quietly. "While I applaud your resolve, you must still prove yourself capable of surmounting the ghosts of your past and the vices you use to escape them."

"I know I don't come across as the most reliable person, and objectively I probably seem like the last person you want raising a child," Tsunade replied, "but when I look at Naruto. When I see the fire in his eyes, I see what Dan and Nawaki were talking about. I believe that he can succeed where they failed and I want to be there to care for and guide him on that path. And I'll do anything to be given that privilege."

Ameterasu took a step and stood right in front of Tsunade, staring her in the eyes. The deep searching expression on her face made Tsunade feel like the very depths of her soul were being excavated and carefully examined. After a minute of tense silence, Ameterasu smiled and stepped away to look at Hiruzen.

"Your words speak truth, Tsunade Senju. Hokage-san, perhaps there is a compromise to be reached?"

Hiruzen closed his eyes for a moment and thought about their current situation. "Even if I wanted to, the civilian council has almost complete power over Naruto as he is currently a normal citizen. By the time I wrestle that control back, he would already have passed the academy. That being said, there is an alternative solution though I know you won't like it."

Tsunade's resolve was unshaken. "It doesn't matter what it is, I'll do it."

*( OoO )*

Iruka blew out a sigh and readjusted the files of the various genin graduates in his hands as he walked down the hall towards the meeting room in the Hokage Tower. Today had been a rollercoaster of emotions. It had started fairly well with a decent amount of his students having exceeded his expectations. One in particular made his chest swell with pride.

Naruto Uzumaki. When they had first met he originally despised the boy. Not because he was ignorant enough to mistake him for what he contained, but simply knowing that the cause of his parents' deaths was sealed inside his stomach made every time he so much as looked at Naruto a painful reminder of what he had lost. That quickly changed though when he saw the hell the rest of the village put Naruto through, and despite all that, the big smile never seemed to leave his face. It was humbling in a way to see the lengths Naruto had to go to just to collect enough meager scraps to repair the damage that was frequently done to his small apartment, let alone find enough food to eat. Iruka had tried over and over to report these crimes to the Hokage, but no matter how hard they tried, they simply couldn't find enough proof.

And while Naruto easily wormed his way into Iruka's heart, despite his constant pranks and acts of truancy, there was something that told him that he had barely scratched the surface of the enigma that Naruto Uzumaki. On occasion he would see behind the mask and the young man who often acted more mature than most adults would make an appearance. On others he would see Naruto enthusiastically trying to explain something new he had learned in the library to the owners of their favourite ramen stand. He knew that the Hokage given Naruto unrestricted access to the most of the library, even going so far as to give him a key to the building and threatening those working there that they did not have the authority to deny service to anyone as it was a public resource and technically under the Hokage's jurisdiction. However, even though he would sometimes catch glances of Naruto's avaricious desire to learn and read whatever he could, the boy's grades were still abysmal and he rarely actually saw him with a book.

Shaking his head of his ruminations with a yawn, followed by a wince from where his traitorous assistant had impaled him with a fuma shuriken, he reached forward and opened the door to the Hokage's. Walking in he placed the files on the desk, making sure to include the one extra. He was dismissed with a wave as the Hokage began looking through the files. Bowing, he left the office, hoping against hope that the one extra graduate would still manage to find a team of his own.

*(OoO)*

Hiruzen kept his face neutral as he looked at those gathered before him.

"Now, before we begin the discussion of team assignments, are there any among you who would like to make specific requests?"

He watched as Kakashi Hatake, Kurenai Yuhi, and his own son Asuma stepped forward. Kakashi was the first to speak.

"Hokage-sama, I request that Naruto Uzumaki be placed on my team."

Kurenai was next as she stepped up next to Kakashi and bowed. "Hokage-sama, I too request Naruto Uzumaki, as well as Hinata Hyuga." This made Kakashi and many others raise an eyebrow in curiosity as he knew they had all read Naruto's file and was sure he would be the only one to request him.

Asuma was last as he too bowed. "Hokage-sama, I request to be placed with the next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho."

Deciding to deal with the easiest issue first, Hiruzen leveled his gaze on his son. "For what reason do you make this request, Jonin Sarutobi?"

Asuma took a slow drag of his cigarette and blew it out before answering. "I think I would be valuable in molding the next generation of Konoha's most strategically solid team."

Hiruzen thought over Asuma's request while ignoring the itch to reach for his own pipe as he inhaled the smoke from his son's cigarette. Coming to a decision, he grabbed the appropriate files and stamped them. "Request granted. Asuma Sarutobi, you have been officially designated Jonin-Sensei of Team Ten, consisting of Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Chouji Akimichi." Asuma bowed and thanked him before exiting the room. "Now, Jonin Yuhi, you have already expressed and explained your desire to train the Hyuga heiress so I will began by granting that one."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Kurenai said as she bowed once more.

"As for the matter of Naruto Uzumaki," he noted how several of the gathered jonin scowled at the mention of his surrogate grandson and found his resolve reaffirmed. "Normally, due to his position as dead last, he would be held back until a spot opened up either on another genin team or next year's class graduated. However, seeing as multiple requests have been made for his presence on different teams, I will hear both of your reasons before making my decision. Jonin Hatake, why do you think you should have Genin Uzumaki on your team."

"I believe that, as Konoha's premier ninjutsu specialist, I am the most qualified to teach Genin Uzumaki as his unnaturally large chakra reserves as well as the addition of the Kyuubi's chakra gives him a unique edge in that field. Additionally, I believe that his distaste for Sasuke Uchiha can be molded into a rivalry that will propel Sasuke to new heights, so long as he thinks Naruto's skills are right behind him."

"So you would intentionally train him to be weaker just to make the Uchiha stronger?" Kurenai demanded. "Hokage-sama, if given permission to train Genin Uzumaki, I believe that he can become a great shinobi as well as provide much needed confidence to his teammates, helping pull them up with him."

"Yuhi-san, I never said I would sabotage Naruto's career. I will still train him to be a strong shinobi. I was simply saying that he should be kept where he can nip at Sasuke's heels in order to drive him to become the best he can be. Besides, with the Byakugan on your team, you will be more suited towards a tracking team. I recommend the Inuzuka and Aburame heirs." Kakashi said, a hint of condescension tinging his relaxed tone.

"At least I wouldn't use him as nothing more than a stepping stone for one of his teammates!" Kurenai retorted angrily.

"That's enough," Hiruzen said coolly before the situation could devolve further. "Kurenai, Kakashi has a point. Your team is going to be better suited for tracking and for that reason I am denying your request."

Kurenai gaped at the Hokage. She had desperately wanted to see the boy she hadn't seen for years again. After making chunin, she had been so busy with missions that she hardly got to see him anymore. She had visited the box he had last been using for shelter several times and had even taken to searching the village before she had learned that he had moved into a small apartment in the red light district. Strangely enough, it became even harder to find him even though he had acquired a permanent place of residence. In fact, except for the almost weekly uproar of chaos due to one of his many pranks, almost no one saw Naruto outside of the Academy. Now she had just lost the chance to be able to see him regularly once again. She was about to protest the Hokage's order when he turned to address Kakashi.

"Jonin Hatake, your request has also been denied. I will not have one of my genin used for the sole purpose of escalating another. Instead, it seems that, as originally intended, Genin Uzumaki will be assigned to the one who made the first request for him, years ago."

"And who would that be, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked. He may not have shown it, but deep down he was upset that he would not be able to train the son of the man who was like a second father to him. His question was answered when the door opened and the last person any of them expected walked through.

"That would be me."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Well as promised, here's a fairly long chapter. It's got a bit of fluff, some exposition, some training, and then throws us into the main story at the end so hopefully you all like it.**

Naruto woke up early, despite not being able to get to sleep until late last night. He had finally done it! He was a shinobi and one step closer to accomplishing his goal. Turning off his alarm, he slipped out of bed and prepared himself for his last day at the academy. He quickly scarfed down a quick breakfast of stale bread and cheese and thought about all that had happened in the last five years.

After waking up in the Hokage's office and seeing the two strangers standing over him he quickly tensed before realising that one of them had been the Goddess from his dream. He was happy to find that whatever had happened in his dream was real as he looked at his surrogate grandfather's robes hanging on the rack near his desk and could actually understand them as opposed to simply knowing by instinct that they read _Third Hokage_. His happiness had quickly been quashed though when he had tried to exclaim his joy at his newfound skill only for a raspy croak to escape his throat.

The nice blonde lady, who he learned was named Tsunade, had crouched down to look him in the eye and explain that despite her best efforts, the damage to his vocal chords was just too great. Upset at the loss of not just an arm, but also his voice, Naruto had been surprised to find the nice lady hugging him. When he had calmed down and they finally separated, Tsunade had told him that it was time for her to leave, but she would see him again in a month to check on his throat and how his body was dealing with his new arm. Then the Goddess from his dream had knelt in front of him and explained that her name was Ameterasu and she expected great things from him before disappearing in a flash of white fire with Tsunade.

After that, he pretty much spent the next five years either in the library, at his apartment, in the academy, or in one of his many hiding places reading. He had kept his replacement arm a secret as he was bullied enough for being practically mute, he didn't need the villagers thinking he was a cripple too.

Shaking his head, Naruto focused on the present, leaving the past behind as he opened his closet and skipped right over his trademark orange jumpsuit. Now that he was a shinobi of Konoha, he wasn't under the thumb of the civilian half of the village anymore, and he no longer had to hide himself behind the mask of a happy-go-lucky dunce to keep them from becoming wary of his growth. Instead he donned himself in a tight, long-sleeve chain-mesh shirt, over which he wore a black hoodie with an orange swirl on the back that was gifted to him by Tsunade on one of her monthly check ups, as well as the dark orange scarf her apprentice, Shizune, had given him that same day. On his legs he wore a baggy pair of dark grey pants that reached just below his knees before being cinched shut around his shins. Below that were a pair of bandages covering the rest of his legs and a pair of sturdy, black slip-on shoes. Finally ready, he slipped his burnt orange gloves over his hands, concealing the remainder of his artificial arm, tied his headband on and rushed out the door, making sure to lock it and activate his security seals on the way out.

It took him no time at all to arrive at the academy. He entered the classroom where he had spent the better part of the last five years, looking straight ahead as he climbed the stairs and took a seat next to a blushing Hinata. He then proceeded to wait there quietly for Iruka to come in and announce the teams. The most he interacted with anyone there was to simply point at his forehead protector when Shikamaru asked him what he was doing there. He then went back to waiting quietly until Iruka came in minutes after Sakura and Ino, breaking them up and demanding silence. He didn't really listen as the teams were assigned, though he did smile and pat Hinata on the back when he learned she was going to be on a team with Kurenai.

He hadn't really seen her in the last few years, seeing as she was often busy with missions and he was busy hiding from villagers while reading and learning anything he could get his hands on or training. He was happy though that she made jonin and that she was going to be the sensei to the only girl in Naruto's class who hadn't been mean or cruel to him.

"And lastly," Iruka concluded, "seeing as we have an uneven number, we normally place the odd man out with a team from the next year's class."

"Looks like the dobe's out of luck again!" Kiba shouted, much to the amusement of his peers.

"Serves him right," Sakura added. "Dressing up all cool like Sasuke-kun when he's just a dead last."

Naruto meanwhile didn't react. He had caught what Iruka said and was waiting for what he was getting at. He didn't have to wait long either as Iruka cleared his throat and continued.

"Actually, it seems that Naruto is going to be lucky. He has been requested to be a private apprentice and will therefore work individually with a sensei as well as operating as a back-up team for any missions that see a sudden increase in difficulty outside of the mission's parameters."

The class erupted in chaos as many of the other students voiced their disgust of the situation. It took several minutes and a particular judicious use of Iruka's Demon Head Jutsu to finally get everyone settled down and explain that there was no way to change placements. Finally a knock on the door managed to grab everyone's attention. Iruka opened the door and his along with almost everyone else's jaws dropped.

Standing in the doorway with her arms crossed was none other than Tsunade Senju.

"Tsu-Tsunade-sama!" Iruka stuttered before bowing quickly in respect. "You've returned to the village?"

"I have," replied Tsunade as she stepped past Iruka to glare at the gathered graduates. Naruto couldn't contain his smile as her eyes fell on him and softened before returning to its previous glare. "So these are this year's batch of academy graduates. You all don't look like much to me."

"I assure you, Tsunade-sama, theses shinobi are ready." Iruka said as he stood next to her nervously.

"A few of them, maybe," Tsunade conceded. "But at the moment I'm only interested in one of them, and that's my future apprentice."

The air seemed to freeze as everyone in the room tried to process what she had just said before erupting in anger.

"Tsunade-sama, you can't be serious!"

"He's nothing but a dead last!"

"He probably couldn't even survive training with you!"

Tsunade scowled as she listened to the various graduates insult her Naruto. Releasing a little bit of killing intent, she watched as they froze once more, this time in fear. Even Iruka was starting to sweat. The only one seemingly unaffected was Naruto as he flashed her with that foxy grin of his that made her heart swell.

"From where I'm standing, it almost seems like a group of newly graduated _genin_ are questioning the decision of not just one of the three legendary _Sannin_ but the Hokage as well. That doesn't strike me as a great start to your careers as shinobi of the leaf."

The room was silent as she looked over the now thoroughly terrified students before stopping on Naruto, whose hands moved quickly as he signed to her.

 _That shut them up fast._

She smirked inwardly at his wit, but scowled when one of the genin stood up. She identified him as Sasuke Uchiha, and knew right away from the look on his face that she didn't like him. He had that same haughty expression she had seen five years earlier in her old mentor's office, only this _child_ didn't have the benefit of godhood to justify his superiority.

"Tsunade-san, I believe there was a mistake. The dobe there is the dead last of this class, and in fact failed the graduation exam for his third time in a row. I don't know how he managed to procure a leaf headband, but as rookie of the year I'm sure you were supposed to be assigned me to be your apprenticeship."

Tsunade was about to respond when Naruto slammed his hands on his desk and shot to his feet signing so fast Tsunade only caught the gist of what he was saying, though she was touched that it seemed that he was incensed by the lack of respect being shown to her.

Sasuke merely rolled his eyes at Naruto's silent outburst. "Hmph, how many times do we have to tell you, dobe, no one understands that made up language of yours."

Tsunade could hear a slight growl rising up through Naruto's throat and sensed the extra chakra being pumped to his limbs. He was just about to leap over the desks and show Sasuke just who the dead last was when Tsunade appeared in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked into her eyes, pleading her to understand why he was so angry. Nodding slightly, she tightened her grip on his shoulder and with a quick Shunshin, warped them to one of the training grounds he used as a hiding place from the villagers.

The moment they landed in a clearing at the center of Training Ground 43 Tsunade pulled him into a tight hug while Naruto returned the gesture. They stood like that for several minutes before Naruto pulled away, a slightly embarrassed look on his face. Though he would never admit it, Tsunade knew how much Naruto was starved for physical affection, and she always found it cute when he would get embarrassed by it.

"So, failed your exam for a third time, huh?"

Naruto smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head while a breathy chuckle passed his lips.

 _Yeah, I couldn't find any way to control my chakra enough to make a stable clone,_ Naruto signed as they both took a seat. His face turned sheepish once more before continuing. _Do you think I could talk to you?_

Tsunade chuckled and shuffled a bit so her back was against a nearby tree. She then grabbed Naruto and easily pulled him over to sit between her legs. She noticed that he had grown since she had last seen him, though he was still several inches shorter than her. If she had to guess he was probably standing a decent five-three. "So how'd you work around your clone problem?"

She listened intently, her head on his shoulder as a quiet, raspy voice answered her, "Shadow clones."

"And just where did you learn a jonin-level technique?" She asked.

"Forbidden scroll," Naruto replied. "Mizuki-teme tried to trick me into stealing it. So, I told Jiji. Together we laid a trap for the teme, and 'cause Jiji knew about my trouble with clones he said I could try to learn the first jutsu from the scroll while I waited. I had just managed to get it down when Iruka-sensei arrived..." Naruto paused, both to give his throat a break and because of the emotions that welled up when he remembered how close one of his precious people had come to dying that night. Tsunade tightened her arms around him both, silently providing him both comfort and understanding.

"You don't have to continue if you don't want to, Naru-kun," she whispered. "I read the report, I know what happened after."

"So, it's true then?" Naruto croaked. "I have the Kyuubi sealed in me?"

"I'm afraid so," Tsunade replied softly. "Now that you know, though, what are you gonna do?"

Naruto was silent for several minutes as he thought, and Tsunade took the opportunity to do her usual checkup to make sure the arm Ameterasu had given him was behaving as it should as well as check his vocal chords. She was glad to see the arm was as strong as ever and that Naruto's body was not rejecting it. In fact, she could have sworn that the artificial nervous system inside the prosthetic that let Naruto control it was slowly getting more and more complicated. As for his vocal chords, she was happy to hear him talking for such a long amount of time without breaks. It meant he was steadily improving, and while he may never be rid of the quiet raspy quality in his voice, or being able to shout at the top of his lungs, she was confident the day was coming when it would no longer hurt to express himself with more than just hand gestures.

"I've decided that I'm not gonna use the Kyuubi's chakra," Naruto stated, surprising Tsunade.

"Why not?"

"It's not mine to use. If I ever meet the Kyuubi somehow, I may ask it if I can use some of its chakra with its permission, but that'll only be after I ask it why it attacked Konoha and figure out whether I can trust it."

Tsunade considered telling him that the great fox had already sworn an oath to let him use its chakra, but figured it might be better for Naruto to grow under his own power first and have the Kyuubi itself give him permission.

"That seems awfully wise of you, Naru-kun."

Naruto leaned his head back against her and smiled brightly before shooting to his feet and turning to face her.

 _I'm ready to get started whenever you are, Tsuna-sensei,_ he signed quickly.

"You asked for it, Naru-kun," Tsunade replied as she stood up and slipped into her preferred fighting stance.

*(OoO)*

They spent that afternoon sparring, though that largely consisted of Tsunade beating him around the forest like a rag doll. After several rounds, Tsunade was happy to see Naruto quickly figuring out the trick to the Shadow Clone technique, and found that with each shadow clone she destroyed her young apprentice's skills steadily increased. By the time they stopped for dinner, Naruto had actually managed to tap her with the palm of his hand –something she hadn't expected to happen for a while yet, even if she was holding back quite a bit. They left the training ground and headed for Ichiraku's.

Naruto couldn't tell what he was happier about at the moment: the mountain of ramen he was currently shoveling into his mouth, or the fact that one of his most precious people was not only going to be staying in Konoha to be his sensei, but was also paying for the mountain of ramen he was currently shoveling into his mouth. He listened attentively though as Tsunade outlined their training schedule for the next few weeks. Everyday started with physical training all morning, then, after lunch, they would spend three hours a day trying out new techniques and then another three hours of sparring before breaking for dinner. Meanwhile, both of them sent Shadow Clones to complete several D-Rank missions and Naruto had several others reading, studying, or practicing techniques learned during the three hours after lunch. Every Friday, Tsunade had said they would practice with another genin team after lunch, as they were a back-up team and would therefore need to work well with every team. Finally, on Saturdays, Naruto would remove the resistance seals he had started putting on himself and they would spar with him going all out in order for him to have proper control as well. After that, Sunday was used as a day off for errands and generally just hanging around.

They had been following this schedule for nearly four weeks, and even though Naruto ended every day barely being able to stay on his feet, he couldn't be happier. He had a running joke with Tsunade that they were going to make Shizune, who had taken a leadership position at the hospital, retire before the Third due to the stress of their weekly all-out spars inevitably ended with Naruto being hospitalized for the night. He was happily eating at Ichiraku's, alternating between devouring his food and enthusiastically signing to the two cooks about his training when Tsunade dropped by and told him she had finally gotten around to getting another genin team to agree to practice with them.

That was how that Friday, Naruto found himself standing in Training Ground 8 staring at two of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. He had never really spent a lot of time around Hinata, as she was very shy and tended to pass out around him, but seeing her now, ducking and weaving as she sparred with her teammates. He frowned as he watched her movements, though. Something about them seemed a little too stiff and unnatural for a girl who seemed to breathe poise and grace.

His eyes moved away from the sparring match to the ethereal beauty standing not far off. If possible, Kurenai had only gotten more beautiful since the last time he had seen more than a passing glance of her. He could easily see the hidden strength lying beneath her soft, curvy frame. Her wild, dark mane reached midway down her back, and he could see the calm intelligence in her crimson eyes as she observed her students.

His face heated up though as she suddenly turned and looked him in the eye, a big smile on her face as she called for her students to halt. Walking over, she had to resist the urge to rake her eyes over Naruto's surprisingly well toned form.

"It's good to see you again, Naruto-kun. I was afraid you had disappeared on me."

She watched as Naruto moved his hands around wildly, only to frown when she heard Kiba shouting from behind her.

"Oy, dumbass! What part don't you get about none of us understanding your stupid hand-talking thing?"

She heard a quiet growl reverberate through Naruto's chest before he showed Kiba a particular one-fingered sign that everybody understood.

"He said, 'it's good to see you as well, Tenshi-chan. I've missed your visits,'" Tsunade translated as she appeared behind her student.

Kurenai bowed to her, hiding the blush that appeared on her cheeks at the familiar nickname, prompting her students to as well, while Naruto simply looked up and smiled at his sensei.

"Tsunade-sama, I'm honoured you chose our team to practice with," Kurenai said as she stood back up.

"It's no problem, Kurenai-san," Tsunade replied, "I figured it would be good if Naruto's first joint practice was with at least a couple people he liked."

Naruto tugged her sleeve to get her Tsunade's attention before quickly signing something that made her laugh.

"What did he say?" Kurenai asked.

"He said that Shino-san isn't so bad either, since he doesn't smell like wet dog."

Kurenai and Hinata couldn't help but giggle slightly while Kiba huffed in exasperation. Even Shino seemed to have a small crinkle of happiness around his eyes.

"Well it seems the Hokage approves of the idea of a joint practice day, as he has actually assigned both us and Team 7 on our first C-Rank Mission tomorrow."

"Really?" Tsunade asked. "And where would this be taking you?"

"We're to escort a bridge builder back to the Land of Waves and protect him as he finishes construction on a bridge there."

"Sounds like fun, I remember my team's first C-Rank," Tsunade said wistfully.

Kurenai was about to inquire, sure that it would be good for her students to hear about how someone of Tsunade's stature had started, but was cut off when Naruto sighed loudly before signing to his sensei.

"You'll have to forgive Naruto, he's heard this story several times and is eager to get started."

Kurenai nodded in understanding. "Well, seeing as you're the one who proposed this, why don't you explained what's going to happen, Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade nodded before addressing the gathered genin. "We're gonna be doing a series of spars. The order will be Naruto versus you three in one on one matches, then rotating two on two matches until all of you have been partnered with each other, then rotating between Naruto against you three and two of you with Naruto against the other, after that it will be Naruto against you three and Kurenai, with me providing the occasional support, and finally it will be all of you against me."

Kurenai giggled as Naruto's shoulders slumped and he let out what might have been a soundless groan, before taking a deep breath and puffing up his chest in determination. She watched as throughout the day Naruto wiped the floor with her students, all the while making it look like they were just barely losing. He even provided the occasional piece of advice, which Tsunade translated. So far the only match he had lost was the one where he was paired with Kiba and Akamaru, and that was only due to the pair hitting him in the back with a Gatsuga by accident.

"How is he so strong?" Kurenai asked as she and Tsunade watched Naruto and his clones hold off all three members of her team. "Furthermore, why is he holding back so much?"

"To answer your first question," Tsunade replied, her eyes not leaving her student. "He's always been far stronger than he's let on, and I'm not even sure he's aware of just how smart he really is. As for why he's holding back, it's because he actually wants to help his fellow shinobi get stronger. He knows they wouldn't learn anything if he tossed them around without even giving them a chance."

Kurenai smiled at the thought of how selfless Naruto was for helping their team. Still she was quite happy when it was finally her turn to join the fray and she could see Naruto putting in real effort to hold off her and her students at the same time. She grunted in annoyance as he once again broke free of her illusions just in time to stop her kunai. Her eyes widened in confusion as she readjusted her strike to go for his shoulder before he could stop it, and the blunted kunai glanced off his shoulder with a strange clanging sound while he didn't even seem fazed.

Her moment of hesitation cost her as she took a ferocious punch to the gut before being thrown bodily by one of his clones. Eventually Tsunade called for the end of the match, and Kurenai couldn't help but be amazed by the lightly panting boy standing in front of her and her students, all of whom were in much worse condition. They had started strong, keeping Naruto on the defensive, but as time went on, they found him outmaneuvering them at almost every turn. Were it not for the fact that Kurenai had the advantage of being a full grown jonin with years of experience, they would not have done nearly as well.

The last match of the day had them all groaning in pain as they attempted over and over to do so much as lay a finger on Tsunade, meanwhile she sent each of them careening across the training ground with nothing more than a tap of her hand or a flick of her finger. After another hour of this Tsunade finally called for a halt, thanking her and her students for helping with Naruto's training before master and apprentice took off for dinner while the members of Team 8 limped home to at least get a good night's sleep before their mission.

*(OoO)*

Naruto was excited as he and Tsunade walked out of the Hokage's Tower. It was Wednesday, and he had just been treating his sensei to a home cooked meal he had wanted to try making after reading it in one of the cookbooks in the library when the security seals told him he had a visitor. The ANBU at his door had of the Hokage requesting them for a mission, and now, because Teams 7 and 8 had encountered much greater resistance than anticipated, they were requesting more backup be sent as they had seen at least one jonin-level missing-nin and three chunin-level.

They packed quickly, mostly thanks to Naruto's impressive skills with storage seals and rushed out the gate. He was excited to finally get out of the village and see some more action than the occasional bandits they took out for practice, but Tsunade had easily beaten into his head the seriousness of facing enemy shinobi on a mission, particularly when so many of them were guaranteed to be at a higher level –at least, officially –than him.

They had left the village just after noon and were halfway to their destination when they decided to stop for the night. Naruto was somewhat annoyed that even without his seals his top speed didn't even make Tsunade break a sweat, but that just meant he had to keep training. They made a quick camp, with Tsunade pitching their tents while Naruto collected firewood while setting various traps and security seals around them. Tsunade had to admit that she was impressed with her student's aptitude for fuinjutsu. Naruto had always been a diligent learner, but his talent with the complex science of seal making truly did his surname justice. Already he was deconstructing, analysing, and reconstructing seals that would take the average person years of focused study to even understand. Add in his liberal use of Shadow Clones and Tsunade was fairly sure she was going to have to introduce Naruto to Jiraiya, though she was loath to introduce the boy she thought of as a son to the self-proclaimed super-pervert.

The next day went smoothly as they approached the Land of Waves until Naruto felt a sudden throbbing in his right arm. Gritting his teeth, he reached up to grab his shoulder, ignoring the fact that his prosthetic was unable to feel anything. The feeling passed, but he was unable to hide the fact that it happened from his sensei, who immediately brought them to a stop atop a tree branch to examine him.

"What's the matter?" She asked, her voice a mixture of concern and professionalism.

"Nothing," Naruto replied. "My arm just felt weird for a second back there."

Tsunade activated a diagnostic jutsu and started running her hand over his arm and the area where it connected to his torso. "Weird how?"

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno. There was this weird throbbing feeling, almost like…"

"Like what?"

"Like it was pulling me. Like my arm was telling me to go somewhere."

Tsunade frowned in confusion. Could this be his body reacting to the metal of the arm in some new, strange way? Or was it a quirk of the still unidentifiable metal bestowed upon him by a literal deity? She didn't have much time to ponder these questions as she grabbed Naruto and dove off the tree toward the ground with them just in time to evade a wave of destructive energy that tore through where they were standing.

Looking up, Tsunade saw a man standing in another tree above them smirking. The top of his head easily scraped the edge of seven feet, and he was garbed in nothing but a baggy pair of black pants with a scratched out Mist forehead protector wrapped around his waist as a belt. His pale torso rippled with tightly compacted muscle while his dark beard connected seamlessly with his shaggy hair and almost completely covered his mouth. In general, his stout size and rugged appearance would have cast an intimidating figure were it not contrasted by his weapon of choice.

In his left hand was an elegant double-edged straight sword. Its thin blade was composed of a gorgeous black metal, and the edges looked sharp enough to cut through almost anything. Unfortunately, its modest length of what could be no more than two and a half feet made it look like little more than an oversized letter-opener in the hands of the giant man.

"When Zabuza said to watch for any more reinforcements from Konoha, I never expected to see a Sannin, of all people." The man remarked in a deep voice.

"Naruto, stay back," Tsunade ordered. "This is Ryosuke Kurota, Black Death of The Mist, and A-Rank missing-nin."

"Well I guess I don't have to introduce myself then," Ryosuke shouted as he swung his sword through the air, shooting a dark pulse of destructive energy at the both of them. Jumping out of the way, Tsunade tried to figure out how to get close enough to kill him without getting hit by the energy flowing out of his blade. The bingo books were never clear on what kind of energy the sword emitted, just that whatever it was, it destroyed anything in its path, acting as both offense and defense.

"You know, picking a fight with a Sannin isn't a very smart idea," Tsunade yelled as she worked to figure out how to best take him out. If she tried a head on assault, he'd just attack Naruto, forcing her to step in. Long range attacks didn't work as the few ninjutsu she knew would easily be swept aside by his blade. There wasn't enough room to summon Katsuya, and releasing the seal on her forehead could jeopardize her mission if she tired herself out. She grunted as she dodged yet another wave of energy from his weapon, and remembered why exactly it was she had been happy with retirement.

Landing near Naruto, she saw him gritting his teeth and holding his arm as he watched Ryosuke's every movement carefully.

Naruto's arm screamed at him with phantom pain as he desperately watched his sensei jump around an opponent who she should have been able to deal with easily. He was well aware that he was the only thing keeping her from rushing in and wiping Ryosuke out with a single blow, as the second she did, he would just fire one of those waves of energy at him, and even now, without his seals, he would be hard pressed to dodge it unscathed. The pain in his arm spiked and he was forced to his knees as Ryosuke laughed and raised his sword before his eyes.

"Even one of the legendary Sannin can't lay a finger on me with this!" He exclaimed. "I guess it's true what they say, this sword really is a gift from the gods!"

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he processed Ryosuke's words. Something about them struck a chord with him, and in his moment of distraction, he was unable to fight the strange pulling sensation flowing through his arms. Before he knew it, he was standing in between Tsunade and Ryosuke, ignoring their shouts for him to move and taunts respectively. Time seemed to slow as Ryosuke raised his arm to swing, and then, just as it reached its apex, it froze.

If Naruto had the wherewithal to acknowledge his surroundings, he would have found that everything was frozen. From Ryosuke's arm, to Tsunade diving in to save him from his impending doom, to the smallest leaf in the trees, Naruto was treated to blissful stillness as he carefully examined the sword in his enemy's hand. His instincts told him he was right, but he had to be sure. Everything from the dark metal to the simple golded guard in the shape of a sun confirmed his suspicion.

He smirked and everything started moving again as he allowed his arm to raise on its own, hand held out in front of him.

Tsunade watched, stupefied as Ryosuke swung his arm down. However, instead of a wave of destruction being unleashed on her foolish student, it seemed that the blade itself was hurled out of his grasp. It spun through the air at almost supersonic speeds before coming to a sudden halt a second later in Naruto's hand. Not being one to waste an opportunity, buried her shock for the moment and rushed at Ryosuke, ending his life with a single punch to the chest.

She quickly decapitated him and sealed the head away before turning to Naruto with a furious expression on her face.

"What part of 'stay out of this' did you not understand?!" She screamed in anger. She didn't give him a chance to reply as she pulled him into a crushing hug. "I don't know what I would do without, so _please_ Naruto. Don't ever do something so reckless ever again." She barely heard him mutter his apology into her shoulder as she struggled to contain her tears. Pulling back, she looked down into his face before gasping in shock once more.

Instead of their normal shining blue color, Naruto's eyes were now a cross between orange and gold that swirled loosely into the black of his pupil. She could still see blue in the negative space of the swirl, but it was now a darker, royal blue.

"Naruto, your eyes," she whispered. Unsealing a bowl and some water, she poured out a small amount of it and handed it to Naruto so he could look at his reflection.

Naruto gasped and both sword and bowl clattered to the ground in his shock.

 _What's happening to me?_ He signed rapidly. His hands were shaking and his face showed how afraid he was of what was happening to him.

Sitting him down on a nearby tree that had fallen in the wake of their battle, she tried to find the best way to explain to him what was going on.

"Do you remember the day you and I met?" She asked. When he nodded, she continued. "That night, Ameterasu-sama gifted you with the ability to read in exchange for the part of your heart that felt hate, right?" Another nod told her he was following her so far. "Well, what you don't know is that because of your simple request, and your selfless attitude, she blessed you with a brand new dojutsu."

 _You mean I have a bloodline now?_

"Not exactly. Ameterasu-sama explained to Sarutobi-sensei and me that she had given you an ability called the Kunshugan and that it was a legendary dojutsu that had to be earned, not inherited. She also gave Sarutobi-sensei a scroll to help you train to use it."

Naruto's face lit up at the thought of having his own special dojutsu that was and would always be unique to him. _That's so cool!_ He signed happily. _What does it do?_

"Well as far as we know, the primary ability of the Kunshugan is to make time stop for the user. However, the condition is that the user must remain completely still for the ability to work."

Naruto frowned for a moment at the condition his newfound powers had. At first it seemed fairly useless. What was the point of an ability if you had to be completely still to use it, but then he started to really think about it.

 _That's so awesome!_ He exclaimed happily. _Now I have all the time in the world to think of what to do in any situation!_

Tsunade chuckled, happy her student appreciated the massive tactical benefits such an ability provided. They stayed in the clearing for another hour while Tsunade taught Naruto and about two hundred clones how to properly channel chakra to his eyes. Once they were both sure that he had the skill down, they took off back towards their original destination


	5. Chapter 5

They arrived just before nightfall and Tsunade had to work hard to rein Naruto's disgust at the living situation of those around them. Having seen many towns like this one during her time in the war, Tsunade was a little more acclimated to being surrounded by so much despair. Even so, she couldn't abandon her oath, and once they found a doctor's office they decided to briefly stop to provide some help. Over the next couple hours, more and more people filtered into the office as word spread of a medic who was preforming miracles for free. While she worked, Tsunade explained to Naruto what she was doing as well as occasionally asking him to help her diagnose someone. It saddened her that many of the people were suffering from various symptoms of malnourishment, and even she couldn't do more than recommend a healthier diet.

Unfortunately, every patient's situation was the same. They were all living under the oppression of a tyrannical businessman named Gato, and he was quickly bleeding the entire country dry. By the time the two hour mark passed, Naruto was at his breaking point. Tsunade was healing a cut on a young girl's leg that one of Gato's thugs had given her when the doctor who ran the clinic walked in.

"Thank you for your help, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade nodded as she finished up with the girl before ruffling her hair with a smile. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more, but even I'm limited when presented with such a lack of resources."

"Nonsense!" The doctor bowed graciously. "You've done more in a couple hours than I could normally accomplish in a week."

Tsunade conceded the point and followed her student down the road as they continued towards their client's home. They arrived not long after and when she knocked on the door, Naruto was happy to see Kurenai open the door.

Seeing who it was, Kurenai dropped the kunai she was brandishing back into the pouch on her leg. "Tsunade-sama! Naruto-kun! I didn't expect you two to be our backup."

Naruto waved to her with a grin before waving to Hinata and Shino who were sitting with Kiba around a table with the members of Team 7 and three civilians.

"Yes, well the presence of at least two jonin-level missing-nin has escalated your mission level quite quickly," Tsunade explained.

"You ran into another missing-nin?" Kakashi inquired, his eyes only briefly leaving the book he was reading.

Tsunade nodded and explained what had happened before they arrived. She left out the details of Naruto activating his Kushugan for the moment as there were too many ears in the room and she didn't want word spreading about it just yet. Naruto meanwhile went over to sit by Hinata and Shino. He quickly unsealed a pad of paper and a pen and wrote down a quick not before handing it to Hinata.

"A-ano… i-it's good to see you as well, Naruto-kun," Hinata stuttered after reading the note.

She and Shino then told him about what had happened so far while Kurenai debriefed Tsunade. They told him about their encounter with the Demon Brothers and Kiba even joined in to boisterously add that the one they fought had been no match for their teamwork. Tsunade introduced herself and Naruto to Tazuna and his family. Tsunami smiled and bowed to Tsunade, saying she had heard word of her work at the clinic earlier that evening. Her son, though, was less enthusiastic about their arrival.

"It doesn't matter who you are, or how many people you bring!" He shouted as he slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet. "Gato's still just going to kill you! Like he does with anyone who stands in his way!"

"I ask that you forgive my son, Tsunade-sama," Tsunami pleaded, her head down. "Ever since Gato killed my husband, Inari has been having terrible mood swings."

Tsunade waved off the apology. "It's alright. I've seen many kids like him in my time. It's sad, but it's an unfortunate consequence of living under the tyranny of men like Gato."

With that, Naruto too shot to his feet before angrily signing to her. Tsunade nodded, saying, "Fine. But don't overdo it." Naruto then walked out the door while everyone else looked on in confusion.

"Why can't he just write notes like a normal person?" The third member of Team 7 murmured, prompting snickering from his teammates. Tsunade examined the boy as she recalled who he was.

If she remembered correctly, the boy's name was Kanagi Sanjuro. He was the picture of mediocrity being only slightly shorter than average, with short brown hair and dark eyes. What made him noteworthy was the fact that, like his teammate Sakura, Kanagi had a parent on the civilian council. The council was one of the chief reasons why Tsunade was worried about how this mission went.

The Hokage had informed her that the council was unhappy with her forgoing a leadership position at the hospital –which she knew would have put her directly under their thumb as it was technically under their jurisdiction –in favour of returning to active duty. As if to rub salt in the wound, she was not even taking high profile missions that would bring money and recognition to the village, instead choosing to take on an apprentice as they worked as a backup team. She knew that their anger towards their inability to keep her on their leash was further compounded by her choice in apprentice, but the Hokage had made it clear that as she was technically an elite jonin, she was authorized to request taking in any shinobi of her choosing as her apprentice, and that if they had a problem with her choice they could take it up with her personally.

Luckily, thanks to some help from Shizune, she was constantly unable to answer their summons as she conveniently would be volunteering for a shift at the hospital at the same time as whenever the meeting was and, according Naruto who had studied every book he could find on Konoha's laws, her oath as a medic superseded almost everything short of a direct order from the Hokage.

But if this mission went poorly, and either one of the children of members of the council or the last loyal wielder of the Sharingan wound up hurt, it wouldn't take much for the council to pin the blame on her as the highest ranking shinobi present, which would ultimately result in Naruto's life being made more difficult in some way.

Returning from her thoughts, she watched as Kiba waved his hands around in the air in an impression of Naruto, much to the amusement of Sakura and Kanagi. Meanwhile, Sasuke sat unmoving, glaring at the door, while Hinata, Shino, Kurenai, and Kakashi did not look happy.

"That's enough, Kiba," Kurenai snapped. "I won't tolerate you making fun of your fellow shinobi. Especially not for something over which he has no control." Kiba had the decency to look at least somewhat ashamed as he lowered his arms. "Could you tell us what he said, Tsunade-sama?"

"He told me to tell Tazuna that he'll definitely help protect him while the bridge is built, and promised that he would do everything he could to help you get out from Gato's control. He then told me he was going to train."

"Tsunade-sama, if I may," Tsunami asked hesitantly. "What happened to cause Naruto-san's mutism?"

"I'm curious as well," Kurenai added. "I used to see him on occasion when he was younger, and he definitely wasn't mute back then."

Tsunade looked around at the eager faces of those around her, even Kakashi had lifted his eyes from his book to listen intently. She knew she couldn't reveal too much, as most of what had happened that night five years ago. She suspected Kakashi had an idea of at least when Naruto suffered his affliction as he had been one of the ANBU unconscious in her sensei's office that night.

"Technically, Naruto isn't mute," she explained. "He has the ability to speak though it causes him pain to speak in anything louder than a hoarse whisper or for extended periods of time."

"W-what happened to him?" Hinata asked.

"He was injured quite severely when he was younger. As a result, his vocal chords were permanently damaged."

Gasps echoed around the room while both Kurenai and Hinata felt the sting of tears in their eyes. They both were aware of Naruto's less than hospitable treatment by the people of Konoha, and had immediately guessed the cause of injury.

 _How could anyone do something so cruel to Naruto-kun?_ Hinata thought to herself sadly.

Kurenai, on the other hand, was struggling to control herself. Experience and a good friend in the Torture and Interrogation department provided her with a better understanding of the motive behind Naruto's injuries.

 _They wanted to keep him from screaming or calling for help,_ Kurenai thought in disgust, _and they think_ he's _a demon? They're no better than animals!_

"So, what's with the weird hand movements?" Tazuna asked.

"It's how he communicates," Tsunade replied. "After losing his voice, Naruto found out very quickly how inconvenient it was to write down everything he wanted to say. Especially considering his tendency to ramble when he gets excited." Tsunade smiled fondly, noting with amusement similar expressions on both Kurenai and Hinata's faces, before continuing. "He knew that shinobi at times had to communicate without speaking, so he read every book he could find that even had a passing mention of the different hand signs used to communicate during covert missions, and using that as his base, started to develop his own language."

"I had noticed a few similarities to the covert commands," Kakashi noted, secretly very impressed that a boy who was not exactly known for his cerebral aptitudes, could study a handful of hand gestures and create an entire language.

"That's quite impressive," Shino added. He did not expect the dead last of his class to figure out such a smart work around to his disability. But, then again, a week ago he would not have expected Naruto to not only hold his own, but do quite well in a fight that included three genin and their sensei. _It seems Naruto is full of surprises._

Sasuke scoffed. "It doesn't matter, it's still useless. Does he really expect everyone around him to learn some made up language because it would be more convenient for him?"

Tsunade scowled angrily at the boy, she was one more snide comment from sending him flying back to Konoha with a flick of her wrist, council be damned when Hinata piped up.

"A-ano… d-do you think I could learn this language, Tsunade-sama?"

"I would not be opposed to developing an understanding of Naruto-san's method of communication either," Shino added. "It may be beneficial for future missions with him."

"I'd like to learn it as well," Kurenai said. She leveled Kakashi with a look and he sighed.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to memorise it with my Sharingan," he reasoned.

Tsunade scoffed. "Good luck with that. Naruto's not the biggest fan of the Sharingan." She watched as Sasuke stiffened while his glaring at the door added yet another level of malice.

"He's probably just jealous," Kanagi said, failing to keep the envy out of his own eyes as he glanced at Sasuke.

"That's right!" Sakura added loudly. "Naruto-baka is just jealous that Sasuke-kun has the most powerful bloodline while he's just a clanless loser who probably fell out of a tree and lost his own voice."

Tsunade stood angrily, struggling to keep any of her killing intent from leaking out and affecting her clients. She turned without a word and followed her student outside, slamming the door hard enough for a large crack to appear in the door.

She stomped her way through the forest outside the house, taking several deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself while she looked for Naruto. She found him sitting cross-legged in a small clearing while several clones surrounded him swinging their swords as they practiced various drills. Some of them were even standing horizontally on the trees as they practiced. Taking a seat next to him, she poked him in the shoulder.

"You know you don't get any physical benefits training with shadow clones, right?"

Naruto opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her with a smile.

"I know," he replied quietly. She saw he had his Kunshugan activated found that in the dark of night, the orange swirls glowed ever so slightly. "I'm using them to get used to the sword while I practice with the Kunshugan."

"Any progress?"

Naruto frowned contemplatively. "It already felt, I dunno... right, when I held the sword before. By the time their done, I'll have mastered the beginner drills and will be ready to find a kenjutsu style that fits well for me."

Tsunade smiled and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "That's good to hear. I'm sure you'll be a kenjutsu master in no time." _Especially if your skill with a blade takes after your mother like your skill with seals has,_ she added silently. "But I was actually asking about your Kunshugan. Have you figured out anything else about it? The scroll in Sarutobi-sensei's office will only show more to the wielder of it."

"Well, my eyesight's way better," Naruto surmised, "also I can see my chakra, and it makes my eyes sting a bit, but if I really focus I can sort of see yours too, though it got easier once you touched me."

"That's useful," Tsunade noted. "You might not like the Sharingan, but you can't deny it would make learning certain techniques easier if you could see how to mold the chakra properly, even if you can't copy it. Until then, it'll help to at least see your own chakra, that way you're less susceptible to genjutsu and you can watch it as you practice your chakra control. What about your ability to stop time?"

Naruto sighed and rested his head on her shoulder with a pout. "Staying still is hard."

Tsunade giggled and pulled him closer. "You sound like my old teammate."

Naruto raised an eyebrow curiously. "He once told me about this special training he had once done, and the first step involved him learning to sit perfectly still. If he didn't, he would fall off the spike he was balancing on. Like you, he's a pretty hyperactive guy, so it took him a long time to master it." They sat in silence for several minutes until one of the clones practicing nearby dispelled. "You never did tell me what drove you to pull that stupid stunt with Ryosuke, by the way."

"It's a gift from the gods," Naruto replied cryptically.

"What are you talking about?"

"The sword. He said it was a gift from the gods." He took the glove off his right hand, revealing the dark, metallic musculature of his hand, and rapped his knuckles against the blade with a sharp _clang!_ "They're the same metal."

"So you think Ryosuke was serious when he said the gods gave him it?"

Naruto shook his head, slipping his glove back on as he started signing to give his voice a break.

 _I think that someone was given it, and that Ryosuke stumbled across it much later._

"What makes you say that?"

 _Every time he attacked us, my arm hurt. It felt like it was trying to tell me something. At the same time I started feeling like Ryosuke was hurting someone close to me every time he swung it. There's also this,_ he pointed at the guard and Tsunade examined it closely.

It was made of what looked to be gold, which meshed well with the obsidian blade and the crimson wrap around the hilt. It was in the shape of a three-inch diameter circle engraved with a swirl in its center. There were seven points protruding from the guard, with the hilt acting as the eighth. They were evenly spaced with the two running perpendicular to the hilt and the one from which the blade emerged being slightly longer than the ones in the corners. Tsunade's eyes widened as she realised the guard was in the shape of the sun.

"Ameterasu…" she whispered.

Naruto nodded. _Considering the fact that its previous owner didn't seem like the kind of guy who she would find worthy, we can only guess that he took it from its last owner. Its covered in all sorts of seals that I can barely even start to understand, but as far as I could tell, it continuously takes and stores your chakra which is what helps fuel those attacks he was using._

"Well, if it's a gift from Ameterasu-sama, it should probably stay with the one who actually received her blessing," Tsunade reasoned.

They continue to chat for a while the clones practiced before unsealing their bedrolls and going to bed right there, rather than go inside and deal with the others in there.

*(OoO)*

The next morning they woke up and Naruto went on a short hunting trip, catching a small dear for Tsunami to cook. After a hearty breakfast in which Tazuna expressed his concerns for the increasing number of workers who were quitting due to fear of Gato's retribution. Scowling, Naruto created a clone with even more chakra than usual and sent it with Tazuna and Hinata while Tsunade and another clone went back to the clinic to help out again.

The original Naruto joined the members of Teams 7 and 8 as well as their sensei for some training for what they had been informed would be an inevitable rematch with Zabuza Momochi and at least one other who was dressed as a hunter-nin.

"Seeing as Naruto's just joined us, why don't you all show him what you have been practicing these last couple days?" Kakashi suggested.

Naruto watched as the others all started running up the side of trees. He noted that while Sakura and Kanagi seemed to be having the easiest times, they were tiring rather quickly, while Shino, Sasuke, and Kiba were having more trouble climbing the trees but seemed to have more energy. He was about to turn to go do his own training when he bumped into Kurenai.

Kurenai smiled down at him as he looked at her with a mischievous grin. "Going somewhere?" She asked. Naruto created two clones who quickly to the trees for a horizontal sparring match before turning back to her. "I guess I should have anticipated that with someone like Tsunade-sama as your sensei, you would have been drilled pretty hard on chakra control already."

Naruto smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"Well, if that's the case, would you like to teach me something?" Naruto raised an eyebrow curiously at her offer and indicated for her to go on. "Well, we were speaking to Tsunade-sama yesterday and a few of us decided that we would like to learn that language you use with your hands."

If she hadn't wanted to before, the beaming grin on Naruto's face would have been more than enough to make Kurenai resolve to master this form of communication. He indicated they head back to the house and she followed him. Once inside they waved to Tsunami before taking a seat next to each other at the table. Naruto unsealed his pen and paper.

It started simply enough with him writing down a letter then showing her the corresponding hand sign. He wrote down that usually he only used the letters for spelling out most names or certain words he hadn't thought of a gesture for yet.

"What do you mean by most names?" Kurenai asked.

Naruto responded by bringing his hands up to touch his fingers to his shoulders before pointing at her. Kurenai mimicked the action with an inquisitive look on her face. "Me?" She asked. When he nodded, she was only more confused. "How did you decide this would be the sign for my name?"

Naruto shook his head with a soft smile on his face and for the first time in over half a decade, Kurenai heard him speak. "Not Kurenai," he said, the deep breathy quality of his voice was so different from what she remembered that she couldn't help but shiver at the sound of it. He put his hands over her own and brought them up to her shoulders, their faces much closer now she could properly hear him over the sound of Tsunami cooking food in the other room. "Tenshi."

Kurenai's face flushed with heat at their proximity, but she couldn't contain the grin that split her face. "It's nice to hear your voice again, Naruto." She murmured.

"It's nice to talk to you again," Naruto replied quietly.

Without thinking, Kurenai's hands drifted towards the burnt orange scarf he constantly wore around his neck. She paused as he stiffened and looked up into his deep blue eyes. "May I?" She asked quietly, fully prepared to pull back for fear of having crossed some line.

Naruto looked torn as he searched her eyes. They shone with passion and concern, and to his relief there was not a trace of pity. He kept his gaze forward as she pulled away his scarf, closing his eyes as her gasp indicated that ugly, jagged scar that stretched across the front of his neck just below his Adam's apple was revealed. They opened as instead of cries of disgust at one of his many deformities, he was roughly pulled into Kurenai's embrace as hot tears spilled onto his exposed neck.

"I'm so sorry," Kurenai whispered brokenly. "I should have done more. I should have kept trying to find you when I stopped seeing you around town."

She whimpered as strong arms encircled her as well. "Don't cry, Tenshi-chan," Naruto whispered soothingly. "I didn't want you or Ao-hime getting in trouble by being seen with me. But now I'm a shinobi. The council has no say on who I spend my time with, I can train with you and Ao-hime and Shino as much as I want now."

Kurenai simply tightened her grip, simply enjoying the silent comfort Naruto was providing until he suddenly stiffened. "What is it Naruto?"

"A clone dispelled. I found where Gato is hiding."

Kurenai leaned back as Naruto replaced his scarf and used the chance to slip back into her role of jonin-sensei. "Naruto, I know you want to put a stop to Gato, but that's not what we're here for. We're here to protect Tazuna-san while he builds the bridge."

Naruto smirked as he wrote her another note.

 _Wait until Tsuna-sensei gets back. I'll explain everything then._

Kurenai read the note and sighed. "Fine, it's not like I could ever stop you before when you put your mind to something."

Her heart fluttered as Naruto flashed her his signature foxy grin before wrapping her up in a hug and rushing out the door.

*(OoO)*

"Naruto, I know how the situation in this country must make you feel, but we're not here to liberate a country. Our job is to protect the bridge builder while he builds his bridge, and with Zabuza being bound to show up any day now, we should be spending every available minute training." Naruto scowled at Kakashi's lecturing tone. They had all just finished dinner and the rest of the genin, with the exception of Hinata, had barely made it to their beds before collapsing in exhaustion.

He turned to Tsunade who was sitting quietly next to him with her arms crossed.

 _Aren't you gonna lecture me too?_ He signed.

"Only if what you have to say is stupid," Tsunade replied with a smirk. Rolling his eyes, Naruto pulled out their mission scroll from his pack before handing it to Tsunade and signing, _read it._

Tsunade scanned the document before her eyes widened in understanding. Her smirk grew as she placed the scroll on the table. "Lucky you, no lectures for tonight."

"Tsunade-sama, what is Naruto getting at?" Kakashi asked.

"Naruto wants the three of us to join him in storming Gato's hideout."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Lots of action, some good feelings, and the end of the Wave Arc so hopefully there's something for everybody here.**

"Tsunade-sama, I want to see Gato pay for the pain and suffering he has caused the people of Wave but sending the three highest ranking shinobi here and a genin to storm a compound housing what's likely hundreds of bandits and several missing-nin seems like a poor allocation of resources," Kurenai said. "Kakashi is right, we need to prepare ourselves for Zabuza's return as well as the reinforcements he is bound to have."

"Zabuza won't be a problem," Tsunade replied.

"Why not?" Kakashi asked.

"Because Gato plans to double cross him if he somehow survives his fight with us. Naruto and I have a shadow clone searching the forest now looking for Zabuza so we can strike a deal with him first. If we can convince of Gato's treachery then the battle on the bridge will be nothing more than an intense sparring match. Furthermore, as Naruto pointed out to me, our mission doesn't specifically say 'bodyguard' on it. It merely says to protect the bridge builder until the bridge is completed, and while it is true that Naruto's judicious use of shadow clone has greatly sped up that process, the fact remains that as long as Gato remains in power over this country, he will continue to be a threat to Tazuna, sabotage the bridge before its ever completely finished, and scare away the workers. Therefore, the most efficient path to completing this mission is to remove the threat completely."

"That's all well and good, but Gato has an army," Kakashi pointed out, "and while I doubt there are too many high level missing-nin there are bound to be a few."

"Kakashi's right, even if we flip Zabuza and aren't exhausted from a fight with him and his compatriots, we won't know who we're up against until the moment they arrive. There's no way to prepare." Kurenai added.

 _That's where I come in,_ Naruto signed. Tsunade translated for him and the other two jonin couldn't help but be skeptical.

"While I admit you are far better than anyone thought, Naruto-kun, what can you do that two jonin and a Sannin can't?" Kurenai asked.

Tsunade laughed and ruffled Naruto's hair as he quickly signed something. "He said he doesn't know what you're talking about and that if I wanted to I could take on Gato's army myself and still win. I appreciate the vote of confidence, Naru-kun, but you know that we made a deal. I'm only your support unless we're against A-Rank or higher enemies."

Even Kakashi's eye widened upon hearing that.

 _Is she trying to get him killed?!_ Kurenai thought to herself.

"Anyways," Tsunade continued, "He may not be at your levels yet, but Naru-kun does something that will be of great help."

They looked at Naruto, who closed his eyes for a moment before opening them, prompting Kurenai to nearly shout in surprise. Instead of his normal sky blue eyes, Naruto's eyes had darkened to a deep royal blue that mixed with a glowing, golden orange as the two colours swirled into his pupil.

"N-Naruto," she whispered in shock, "your eyes."

"I've never seen a dojutsu like this before," Kakashi muttered.

"This is the Kunshugan," Tsunade explained. "Naruto awoke it during our fight with Ryosuke. In terms of sheer tactical advantage, I'm fairly certain with proper training it could be unparalleled."

"What does it do?" Kurenai asked. She couldn't look away from his eyes as they stared at each other. Something about them resonated with a hidden power. His eyes still held their familiar tenderness, but this new transformation made it clear that there was fire and steel waiting in those depths.

"We're still learning all of its abilities, but for the moment, it allows Naruto to freeze time so long as he remains still. Our first largescale field test will be when Gato pulls his double cross. Naruto will have clones in a perimeter around the bridge. When Gato's forces arrive, the clones will activate their Kunshugan and analyse all they can about the enemy from every angle. Naruto has also memorized every entry in the bingo book so he'll be able to relay information on us about any shinobi Gato has in his contingency. If this works, we'll be using that strategy once more when we storm the hideout."

Naruto smiled as the two jonin went over his plan. He reached into his poket and pulled out a handful of small pieces of paper, each with a small but intricate looking seal on them.

"What are those, Naruto-kun?" Kurenai asked.

"None of us brought radios," Tsunade explained, "and due to Naruto's disability it would be hard to hear him over them anyway. Instead he asked me to help him design this seal." Naruto handed the seals out before turning around and pointing to the back of his neck, indicating where he wanted them to put it on. Kakashi and Kurenai exchanged a look before shrugging and slapping them on their necks. They were surprised when Naruto opened his mouth and it was almost like his raspy voice was whispering directly in their ears.

"Tsuna-sensei helped with the anatomy parts," he explained. "There's a command seal on my throat that reads the vibrations when I talk. It then sends a signal to the ones on your necks which use tiny pulses of your chakra to send the same vibrations to your ears so you can hear me."

"Naruto, this is ingenious," Kakashi remarked, turning to Tsunade. "Are you sure it's wise to be teaching him such complicated fuuinjutsu, Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade frowned. "I didn't teach him anything except the proper anatomy of the ears. Naruto's skill in fuuinjutsu is completely self-taught."

Naruto shrugged sheepishly as the other two jonin looked at him disbelievingly. "People kept throwing out perfectly good books on it for no reason. It's not really that hard."

Kurenai couldn't help but laugh and shake her head. They spent the rest of the night finalizing their plans before going off to bed.

The next day passed with little fanfare. The members of Teams 7 and 8 continued training themselves into the ground while Naruto taught Kurenai more signs. Nothing particularly noteworthy happened until dinner when, after the other genin stumbled in exhausted, Inari burst to his feet and started shouting.

"Why are you doing this? It doesn't matter how strong you get, you'll never beat Gato! You all sit around enjoying yourselves like you're on some sort of fieldtrip! What do any of you know of suffering?!"

Tsunade couldn't help but frown sadly at the hopeless tone in the boy's voice before a deep, feral growling filled her ears as Naruto stood angrily and glared at Inari. She noticed Kurenai and Kakashi both shivered slightly as Naruto's inadvertent activation of the seal on his neck made it sound like there was a wild animal growling right next to them. He stormed passed Inari and slammed the door on his way out while Inari merely broke down in tears and ran up to his room.

"What's his problem?" Kanagi asked.

Not in the mood to hear the boy she considered a son be made fun of again, Tsunade followed him out the door. It didn't take her long to track him down. She found him sparring against several clones with his sword while others sat in a circle around them watching. All of them had their Kunshugan activated, and she had a feeling many of the ones sitting were practicing their abilities to freeze time as the original viciously cut his way through a never ending group of opponents.

She could feel his chakra surging powerfully as he jumped back. He swung his sword in an attempt to replicate the attack Ryosuke used, but instead of the wave of destructive energy they had seen before, the moment his blade made contact with the lead clone's, it and several of the ones behind were dispersed in a gust of wind.

"Naruto!" Tsunade called, bringing the sparring session to an end. "What the hell was that?"

"Not sure," Naruto croaked as he slid his sword back through his belt and started dispersing his clones. After receiving the various memories of his clones, some of which had been able to stop time as he attacked, he deactivated his Kunshugan and started signing.

 _Near as I can tell, the second I swung my sword, it shot out some chakra and preformed some sort of wind jutsu. The weird thing is, that the wind moved in the exact way I had planned on moving._

"What do you mean by that?"

 _It was almost like the jutsu knew every move I planned on doing and did them all for me at the same time._

"So the sword uses your chakra to execute multiple maneuvers at once," Tsunade surmised.

Naruto shook his head. _Not quite. My clones saw that it did take some of my chakra, but then that weird chakra storage seal activated letting out chakra that was different from mine and mixing them together. Also there aren't any elemental seals on it anywhere, so for some reason my chakra turned into wind chakra as it was pulled out._

Tsunade hummed as she thought about what the implications of Naruto's chakra changing on its own. Reaching into her pocket, she unsealed a sheet of paper and handed it to him. "I hadn't planned on teaching this yet, but I think it's about time we find out about your chakra nature. This will help with determining what jutsu will be easier or harder for you to use, as well as for when you want to start making your own. Channel a little bit of chakra into that paper and it will tell you which nature is easiest for you to use."

Naruto nodded and did as told. He channeled as little chakra as he could into the paper between his fingers and watched, amazed, as the paper was suddenly cut into four equal segment. One segment ignited, leaving nothing but ash on the forest floor, another crumpled into a tiny ball, the corner of another started to become brittle and crumbled off a little as it drifted to the ground, and the corner he was holding became ever so slightly damp in his hand. He looked up at Tsunade, who was once again astounded by what she saw.

"I don't believe it, but Naruto, it seems you have an affinity for all five natures of chakra," she examined the pieces closely, "though it seems you have a more of a natural aptitude for wind, fire, and lightning."

 _So you think that's why my sword did what it did?_ Naruto asked, catching on.

"Possibly, we know it works with wind chakra, but try molding your chakra like you would for a fire jutsu and swinging your sword."

Naruto did as told and went through the hand seals for a small fireball before swinging his sword. They were both astounded as the sword reacted and erupted in flames before shooting them forward in a wave.

"We'll of course have to up your training until you can learn how to do the different nature transformations with as few hand seals as possible," Tsunade concluded, "but I think we just found your trump card."

"That reminds me," Naruto whispered. "Watch this." He closed his eyes and concentrated on his chakra. Tsunade could see him sweating from the exertion, but kept quiet as she didn't want to distract him. After a couple minutes Naruto gave a grunt, and with a poof of smoke, a shadow clone appeared standing next to him. He gave the clone a high-five before it dispelled itself.

"Not bad, Naru-kun," she observed, downplaying how impressive that Naruto had not only managed to use a jutsu without seals, but a high-level one like the Shadow Clone. She had learned early on that Naruto had a preternatural ability to accomplish feats that others thought to be impossible, and made a point of convincing him that what would normally take a high-level shinobi months to understand or pull off was in fact, quite easy to pull off. She wanted to see how far he could push himself if he didn't have too many limits set on his abilities. It also helped that her skills and knowledge made most things seem easy, further pushing him to work harder while she watched to make sure he didn't hurt himself. "But you're gonna be in trouble if you have stop in the middle of a battle and take a couple minutes just to make one clone. It might be smarter to stick with your old way of doing it for now."

 _I know,_ Naruto replied. _But if the teme unlocks his Sharingan, I don't want him stealing my jutsu without my permission, so I watched my chakra as I made a bunch of clones and then tried making it so it looked and felt the same without the seals._

Tsunade smiled at his line of thought and slipped into her fighting stance. They sparred for the next several hours before settling down to sleep under the stars once more. The shadow clones they had searching for Zabuza dispelled and early the next morning Tsunade informed Kakashi, Kurenai, and Tazuna of what he had said. Naruto sent a clone with extra chakra to protect Tazuna and help with the bridge and they spent the rest of the morning training, Sasuke and Kiba having finally managed to complete the tree climbing exercise. Deciding to give their students a break, the members of Teams 7 and 8 ventured further into the forest to where Tsunade and Naruto were training.

The other genin watched in amazement and jealousy as Naruto and his clones assaulted Tsunade. He hadn't managed to hit her yet, but he was no longer being hurled through anymore trees as he used his clones as springboards to quickly change his momentum or substitute out of danger. He even occasionally caused his sensei to lose track of him, making her land a blow on a clone that would suddenly dispel and give him the smallest of openings.

Sasuke could feel his blood pressure rising as Naruto flashed through several hand seals, unleashing a burst of gale-force wind to intercept the tree trunk Tsunade had casually lobbed at him. He flashed through more seals as the wind tore the tree to shreds and suddenly the bits of wood started withering slightly as the water was extracted into a sphere in front of him. More seals and the wind carrying the pieces of wood increased before igniting, creating a truly massive fireball that hurled toward Tsunade while flaming debris rained down on her. The water floating above him fell back on the fire as it died down creating a smokescreen.

Tsunade jumped out of the smoke, unharmed, and grabbed the legs of the two clones flying at her from either side in an ambush. She spun in the air and hurled them toward the ground at supersonic speeds. The clones dispelled upon impact and Tsunade landed with a smirk. Shifting her head as another Naruto dove past her shoulder. She smiled as his right fist crashed into the ground creating a decent sized crater.

"Congrats, you managed to graze my ear with that last one there."

Naruto shifted to his knees and scratched the back of his head, foxy grin in place. His grin turned to a frown though, as Sasuke stormed up to him.

"Fight me."

Naruto closed his eyes in contemplation, a look at least two of the kunoichi present found adorable, before shaking his head with a grin. He did a quick hand spring to his feet and signed something to Tsunade. She nodded and he walked off to find a quiet place to practice his Kunshugan. He smiled at Kurenai and Hinata as he walked passed and took off deeper into the forest. He paused after several minutes and took a seat at the base of a large tree. Closing his eyes he focused on the feeling of his chakra and worked to mould it properly. Several poofs told him he was successful and he smiled as he got to work.

Naruto didn't come back until later that evening, and once again he and Tsunade spent the night under the stars while Kurenai and Kakashi informed their teams of what was going to happen the next day.

*(OoO)*

Gato smirked as the mist cleared and the battered and bloody forms of the various shinobi as well as the bridge workers Zabuza had killed were strewn across the bridge.

"It really is unfortunate that you find yourself in such a sorry state, Zabuza," he said, faux concern lacing his voice. "You see when I had told these fellows here that they were going to be fighting you, I do believe they were hoping for at least a slight challenge before splitting that little bitch of yours between themselves."

The various bandits and mercenaries behind him chuckled as Zabuza weakly raised his head. "You bastard," he muttered.

Gato smirked. "Now, now, there's no need to be rude." He turned and started walking back through his small army of sell swords. "It's just business, after all."

The bandits started to approach the prone forms of the bridge's defenders when they were stopped dead as a loud whooshing sound coming from the nearby trees steadily got louder. Before any of them could move, a giant cleaver burst from the leaves, decapitating several of the bandits in one fell swoop.

Chaos erupted as Zabuza, his partner, the shinobi from the leaf, and all the dead bridge workers began disappearing in poofs of smoke. Out of the trees came the various shinobi, all in perfect physical condition. The fight that then broke up was a slaughter.

Zabuza and Haku worked together flawlessly. Anybody who manged to stay out of the reach of Zabuza's massive blade, was either immediately exterminated with an ice senbon to the neck or found themselves tripping on a thin sheet of ice that hadn't been there moments before, making them easy targets.

Sasuke smirked as he shoved a kunai into the throat of yet another bandit. The members of his team were spread out, each fighting their own group of bandits. While the bandits weren't a threat individually, he had at first had some trouble dealing with their greater numbers. He punched, kicked, jumped, rolled, and stabbed with practiced ease, transposing the face of his brother on each of his victims when a bandit managed to slip through his guard. He watched as the man's knife drove towards his chest, before noticing how it seemed to be slowing down. Moving out of the way, he dispatched the thug with ease and took note of how everything seemed to have developed a slight red tinge to it. He chanced a quick look towards one of the other shinobi and watched with glee as Kurenai flipped through several hand seals. He could see the way she moulded her chakra and immediately memorised the different hand seals used in the genjutsu. He smiled with sadistic glee and started fighting with renewed vigor. His newly awakened Sharingan glowed, casting fear into the hearts of his enemies as he considered how much closer he was to achieving his ambition.

Meanwhile Sakura and Hanagi were not fairing quite as well as their teammate. They were both littered with small scrapes and bruises because the bandits they knocked down just kept getting back up. Eventually, they both managed to kill one of them, but needed Kakashi and Naruto to drag them out of the fighting as they froze up. Once they had both snapped out of it, Kakashi ordered them to return to Tazuna's house and stand guard there. They both nodded, secretly thankful to leave the fight. They were both met by a shadow clone of Tsunade at the house. She healed them and talked them through processing and accepting what they had done while the original stood in the outskirts of the battle, catching any bandits that had managed to get away from the fight.

Kakashi was holding back for the most part. There was no need to unveil his Sharingan on such low-level opponents, and he decided that the combat experience would be more of a benefit to the younger shinobi than just watching him cut through the enemy forces.

Kurenai seemed to have the same idea as she mostly kept to playing a support role as she used her genjutsu to provide openings for her students. The remaining members of Team 8 worked like a well-oiled machine. They stuck together and made use of the each other's different sensory abilities to cover any blind spots. They all managed to kill several bandits, each freezing for only a moment before continuing to fight, the situation not allowing them the time to process what just happened.

Unfortunately, a moment can make all the difference in a battle, as Hinata now found herself staring down the blade of a wicked looking dagger as it stabbed a path straight for her jugular. She closed her eyes, preparing for her last act of disappointment upon her clan when a loud clang forced her to open her eyes. Standing in front of her glaring at the now disarmed bandit was Naruto. Her eyes widened as he spoke in a low, almost rumbling growl.

"Don't you lay a finger on Ao-hime."

Tsunade felt the unbelievable pressure that Naruto was exerting and rushed in to grab Kakashi by the shoulder. "Don't."

"But Tsunade-sama, that pressure," Kakashi argued. "We need to get him under control and check to make sure the seal is not damaged."

"Let this play out," Tsunade ordered. "If I think things are getting out of hand, I'll step in."

Naruto growled once more, his Kunshugan glowing brightly as he faced the remaining enemies. He could feel an enormous energy flowing through him. Fueling him with more power than he knew what to do with.

 _No,_ he thought, _I know exactly what I have to do with it. I need use it and keep my precious people safe._

Holding his sword back he started channeling every ounce of this new power into it. He got a feeling of approval in the back of his mind, and just as the bandits started to recover from their shock at the terrible energy the boy before them was exuding, he _swung._

The gust of wind that had usually accompanied this technique before while practicing was nothing compared to the hurricane being unleashed now. The wind blew so hard it picked many of Gato's men right up off the ground before they were all cut down by a multitude of black streaks of energy. An instant later, every one of the attacking force was lying on the ground, dead, and Gato was nowhere to be seen.

Naruto dropped to his knees tiredly while Zabuza cursed Gato's disappearance. Tsunade hurried over to her student and ran a quick diagnostic jutsu while the other leaf shinobi merely looked in disbelief at the havoc Naruto had caused. Tsunade helped him to his feet and they all made their way back to the house with Naruto's clones coming out of the trees to scavenge and seal away any items of use the dead bandits may have had on their persons before disposing of the bodies.

 _That was its chakra wasn't it?_ Naruto asked when they arrived back at the house.

Tsunade nodded. _We'll talk later_ , she signed back before heading upstairs to speak to Kurenai and Kakashi privately.

"Well, I think we can say that the test run of Naruto's Kunshugan went well," she surmised once the door was closed. In fact it had gone better than well. Naruto had provided them with real time insight into every opponent they were fighting, including observable weaknesses that, while not terribly helpful or hard to make, saved Kakashi and Kurenai the effort, making killing them that much more efficient, as well as keeping them up to date on their surroundings.

"Be that as it may," Kakashi replied. "Why are you seemingly so unconcerned about Naruto using the Kyuubi's chakra?"

"Because the point of having a Tailed Beast sealed inside you is to make use of the titanic amounts of extremely powerful chakra they have," Tsunade explained.

"But what about the Kyuubi?" Kurenai asked. "Aren't you worried it will try to take control of Naruto?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Not in the least. Naruto's stronger than he looks. If anyone has the will power to go toe to toe with the strongest of the Tailed Beasts, it's him."

They were interrupted by a crash from downstairs. Rushing down in case Gato had returned with more men, they were treated to a different sight instead. Slouched against opposite walls were Kanagi and Sasuke. Kanagi was cradling a clearly broken hand while Sakura was fretting over Sasuke who looked like his pride had been hurt than anything else. Standing between Kanagi and Kiba and Hinata was Naruto, glaring fiercely at him while completely ignoring Sasuke.

"What the hell is going on here?" Tsunade demanded.

"Tsunade-san, your _student_ attacked me and my teammate for no reason," Sasuke growled.

"No he didn't!" Kiba shouted, spinning in place to face Sasuke.

"Yes he did!" Kanagi countered. "I was just trying to talk to Hinata when you got all territorial and he came in and broke my hand before sending me into the wall."

"Hinata was trying to get away from you, you creep!" Kiba yelled. "You've been harassing her since we got left the village!" Akamaru was standing on his head yipping in agreement.

"That's a big word for a mutt!" Kanagi shot back.

Kiba was about to reply when Naruto growled lowly.

Sensing what was about to happen, Tsunade released a little bit of killing intent causing everyone in the room to freeze. "Now that I have your attention," she said calmly, "Tazuna, Zabuza, what happened here?"

Tazuna swallowed nervously at the look on her face before confirming Kiba's story. "What the boy says is true, the one on the floor was getting a little too friendly for the little lady's liking." He couldn't help but glare at Kanagi for a moment, paternal instincts making his hackles rise as he remembered the few times Tsunami had found herself in that situation when she was younger. "Naruto didn't appreciate him making the girl feel uncomfortable and was about to step in when that little pup there took a nip at lover boy's hand, while the slightly bigger pup pushed him away. Lover boy didn't take too kindly to the dynamic duo throwing off his game, and the confrontation was about to get violent when Naruto moved in and caught his punch before throwing him at the wall."

"What about Sasuke?"

"This one had tried to sneak up on the blonde brat during the confrontation and steal his sword," Zabuza explained with disgust. He of all people knew about the bond between a man and his blade. "The blade didn't take too kindly to that, and a smaller version of whatever that attack was on the bridge cut up the boy's hand before throwing him away."

Tsunade shook her head before looking at Naruto. He still hadn't taken his eyes off of Kanagi. "Naruto," she called, getting his attention. "You will join myself and Team 8 outside. Kakashi, while we're out there I hope you'll remind your students what proper shinobi behaviour is."

Kakashi nodded and scowled at his team while Kurenai followed Tsunade outside.

"Alright, explain yourselves," she ordered.

"It was as Tazuna-san said, Kurenai-sensei," Shino replied calmly. "Every time we were alone, Sanjuro-san would attempt to solicit a date out of Hinata-san."

This made Naruto start growling again.

"And after seeing how he reacted on the bridge, I thought it better if I put Kanagi in his place before Naruto got himself arrested for putting the son of a council member out of our misery," Kiba continued.

"That was awfully selfless of you, Kiba," Kurenai observed. She didn't think Kiba and Naruto got along very well.

"Yeah, well, I figured anyone who will take down an army of bandits to keep my teammate safe can't be all that bad. Plus, I've been wanting to knock that punk down a few pegs for a while now anyway."

"Alright," Tsunade nodded her head before turning to Naruto, "So why did you hurt Kanagi?"

Naruto signed his response and Tsunade nodded with a sigh. "Fine, I guess that's a decent response, but try to control your temper next time, okay?"

Naruto frowned petulantly but eventually acquiesced and nodded his head.

"Ano… Tsunade-sama, w-what did he say?" Hinata asked.

"He said that Kiba was his precious person because he protected Ao-hime, therefore Naruto couldn't allow Kanagi to hurt him."

"A-A-Ao-hime?" Hinata stuttered, the heat rising to her face. Kiba snickered at the look on her face before turning and grinning at Naruto.

"What can I say, Naruto. We Inuzuka are a loyal breed, we're loyal to our pack mates."

They returned inside to join the others for dinner, ignoring the rather stormy expressions of Team 7 as they ate. Zabuza and Haku told them a bit about their pasts, and even Sasuke looked affected when they heard about the bloodline purges in the Land of Water and the death of Haku's family. Naruto looked quite angry at the thought of so many people being persecuted and killed for something that was out of control. Then he was struck by an idea and rapidly explained it to Tsunade.

"What's he doing with his hands?" Haku asked. She had seen him gesticulate wildly several times since their truce and joining the leaf shinobi at the bridge builder's house.

"It's how he communicates," Kurenai explained.

Meanwhile Tsunade translated his proposal to the rest of the group. "He asked if we could bring Sekki-chan and No Brows back to Konoha where they can become shinobi for the leaf."

Haku flushed at the nickname the boy had given her. He couldn't have been more than three years younger than her, yet there was something about him that made her gaze keep drifting back and made her feel like she would follow him to the ends of the earth. Zabuza meanwhile, growled at his own nickname before contemplating the offer.

"On one condition," he said. "You let me help teach the brat the ways of the sword."

Tsunade smirked. Zabuza had just made her life a whole lot easier by taking care of one of the items on her to-do list when they got back to Konoha. "Deal."

"Ano… Tsunade-sama, when did Naruto get a dojutsu?" Hinata asked causing most of the other genin to look at him in shock, and in a few cases, hidden outrage. "I noticed with my Byakugan that he was directing chakra to his eyes. One only does that if they have a dojutsu."

"That was very observant, Hinata," Tsunade replied. "Naruto is the wielder of a rather unique dojutsu called the Kunshugan. Unfortunately you all aren't authorized to know much else about it, so that's all I can tell you at the moment."

"Hmph, that's ironic," Sasuke muttered venomously. "He claims to hate the Sharingan, yet he has a dojutsu himself."

"Naruto-baka's probably just jealous that his dojutsu doesn't even compare to the Sharingan," Sakura added snidely. Naruto just rolled his eyes and stood up. He bowed to Tsunami in thanks for the meal before heading outside to prepare for the last leg of their mission.

By the time Tsunade, Kakashi, Kurenai, Zabuza, and Haku joined him outside he had restocked his equipment and was going through the various items he had looted off of Gato's thugs. Naruto handed Zabuza and Haku his communication seals and started explaining his plan to them all as they made their way quietly to the location of Gato's hideout.

"Gato's holed up in an old fort," Haku couldn't help but shiver as she heard the husky voice in her ear. "My clones have made a bunch of explosive seals that will flush most of the enemies outside. The space between the fort and the wall around it is where No Brows will use his Hidden Mist Jutsu and mow down the majority of the low-level guys. The smarter, stronger enemies will try to get out of the mist, so Sekki-chan starts on top of the wall. Her senbon will take care of anybody who jumps to get clear of the mist. Once they realize the fort's not collapsing, they will probably retreat back inside. At that point, my clones will give you any info you need on the missing-nin you meet, and for the few A-Rank ones, Tsuna-sensei will be there to lend a hand."

The others were all impressed at the tactical and analytical skills Naruto displayed, particularly those who were aware of his reputation as a knucklehead. They reached the fort where Gato had holed himself up, and waited in the trees for Naruto's signal.

Not long after they all got into position, Naruto activated the explosive seals. A deluge of localized explosions rocked the fort and the outer wall, conveying the sense that it was under attack from a much greater force while also not harming the structural integrity of the building. As predicted, hundreds of bandits rushed outside only to get lost in a sudden mist and mowed down as Zabuza plowed his way through them. Several tried escaping: either by jumping out of the mist, only to receive a senbon made of ice to their vital areas curtesy of Haku, who had no problem zooming along the top of the outer wall to reach her next target; or running for the gate where Kakashi and Kurenai were waiting for them.

Several minutes of wanton violence later and the majority of Gato's forces had been decimated. They made their way inside, and the true fighting began as missing-nin of all shapes and sizes stood in their way. Their numbers were not nearly as large, but the variety and increased skill made this particular obstacle rather time-consuming and nearly impossible if they didn't have up to the minute knowledge of their surroundings and insight into the strengths and weaknesses of each of their enemies.

Eventually, after nearly two hours of fighting, they had made their way to the highest level of the fort, where the door to Gato's panic room was located. They were all tired, and Kurenai could feel herself slowing down as she dodged another attack from the missing-nin she was fighting.

He had dark skin and a scratched out Cloud headband tied around his bald head. His thin, willowy frame was encased in a tight one-piece suit that was somewhat reminiscent of what Maito Guy wore, but instead of being dark green, it was purple and reinforced at key locations. Naruto had informed her that he was a high B-Rank missing-nin known as Mitsue Hotsu and was known as the Tiger Snake. His moniker was not unearned, as landing a blow on him was even more frustrating than when she sparred against Anko, meanwhile the clawed gloves he wore on his hands were coated in fire chakra. She already had several minor burns all over from narrowly dodging his whirlwind of unpredictable strikes.

"What's the matter, Ice Queen?" He taunted as she dodged yet another flaming swipe. "Not enough time to cast one of your genjutsu?"

Kurenai growled in frustration. She started going through various hand seals when Mitsue charged at her with a smirk. She cursed herself for losing her cool, and prepared herself to be impaled.

 _At least he'll still be trapped in my technique,_ she thought bitterly. _One of the others can finish him off then._

However, instead of being impaled, there was a poof of smoke and a loud clang. Looking around, she found herself suddenly next to Kakashi on the other end of the hallway where he and Naruto were fighting.

"I guess that's one way to help me," Kakashi quipped. "This guy's defences are too strong for Naruto or me to get through. But, if you can immobilize him with a genjutsu then I can take him out."

Realising that Naruto must have used the Substitution Jutsu to switch places with her, Kurenai nodded and jumped out of the way of her new enemies attack. The woman was much broader than her previous opponent, but other than that she couldn't make out any of her other features. She was covered from head to toe in a layer of stone that moved far quicker than expected and lashed out whenever one of them got too close, firing a small boulder at them like a cannonball.

They made short work of her though, when Kurenai hit her with the illusion she had meant to use on Mitsue. The woman froze in place, and the chirping sound of Kakashi's Chidori echoed through the hall as he charged her, driving a lightning-coated hand right through her chest. Their enemy fell, and she realized with relief that Mitsue was the only one left. She turned around and watched as he Naruto danced around each other, the sounds of their blades ringing against each other jarring her ears.

"How the hell is he holding his own against Mitsue?" Zabuza asked as he limped down the hall to join them. Tsunade followed, carrying an unconscious Haku on her back.

"Is she okay?" Kurenai asked.

"Just exhausted," Zabuza replied. Shouldn't you be helping your student? Mitsue's no pushover."

"Naru-kun and I have a deal. He knows he has backup should he need it."

"Do you really think he'd ask for help, though?" Kakashi asked.

"Maybe not from Kurenai, as he wouldn't want to risk getting his _Tenshi-chan_ hurt," Tsunade teased, making Kurenai's face heat up from embarrassment. "But I think this is the first time he gets to test himself against an opponent who is both stronger, and faster than him. He wants to prove that he can stand on his own."

They watched as Mitsue pushed Naruto on the defensive, quickly making him lose ground. "I have to say, brat, you put up quite the fight, but it's over now."

The flames covering Mitsue's claws focused from a raging orange to a tight oval of blue-tinged flame that melted the ground when he dug into it out while somersaulting. He quickly became a wheel of flame, kicking up molten rock as he charged at Naruto.

Naruto swung his sword as fast as he could, dodging and deflecting the red-hot debris being flung at him. He chanced a glance at the others and sighed internally. It looked like the only way to win was to do something completely unexpected, even though that meant revealing another one of his deformities.

Preparing himself as Mitsue drew ever closer, he dropped his sword into his left hand for a backhanded grip. Mitsue descended upon him the next second, one claw aiming high, and one aiming low. Kurenai shrieked as Naruto blocked the lower claw with his sword while, to the disbelief of all the onlookers, he caught the other in his bare hand. He didn't even react as Mitsue's claws slid between his fingers, igniting his glove and the sleeve of his hoodie. Mitsue's eyes were wide as the hand holding his claws was unmoving, completely unfazed by the extreme heat they radiated. In his distraction, he never noticed Naruto quietly release his restriction seals or the pressure against his other claw disappearing before Naruto separated his head from his body.

He fell to the floor dead and Naruto turned back to grin sheepishly at his fellow shinobi. Tsunade just smiled and shook her head at her student's recklessness. "Your arm's still on fire, Naru-kun."

Reacting quickly, Naruto tore the remnants of his sleeve off his arm. What remained of his glove was little more than an orange bracelet, and even his mesh shirt underneath had slashes in it. This gave Kakashi, Kurenai, and Zabuza a decent look at the metallic black musculature of his right arm. Deciding to put off the annoying questions until after their job was done, Tsunade silenced them all with a look before strolling casually up to the reinforced steal door. Raising her hand, she knocked on it gently, sending it flying off its hinges and into the wall opposite it. She then turned around and followed Naruto back the way they came, leaving the others to deal with Gato. They were only the backup, after all.

*(OoO)*

There was much celebration before they left the Land of Waves. Naruto's clones had cleaned out Gato's fort and freed all his prisoners as well as collecting and redistributing the vast wealth he found hidden away there. Tsunami in particular was thankful, as he gave her several documents representing Gato's shares in various companies, effectively letting her turn his empire into a force for good. Naruto had managed to put off explaining his arm for now, and thanks to the self-repairing seals he put on all of his clothes, his arm was concealed once more before anyone else could see it. After two weeks, they finally had the bridge restored. Many of the people who lived in the surrounding area came to see them off, and Inari even hugged Naruto, tearfully thanking him for giving hope back to the people of Wave.

Naruto smiled and ruffled Inari's hair before turning and joining the others. They made decent time on the way back, with all of the genin now having the chakra control to hop from tree to tree instead of walking or running along the road. They estimated they would arrive in Konoha around noon the next day when they finally stopped to make camp. They ate a quick dinner before Naruto sat down to continue teaching Kurenai, Hinata, and Haku sign language. The other two had quickly caught up to where Kurenai was, and like her they blushed prettily –in Hinata's case she even fainted and didn't wake up for several minutes –when he showed them the signs for his nicknames for them.

The happy atmosphere was shattered though when Sasuke stomped over to stand over Naruto.

"Give me the sword, dobe," he demanded.

"Genin Uchiha," Kurenai snapped angrily. "That blade is Naruto's, you have no right to demand any trophies from another shinobi that were won in combat."

"But he didn't win it," Sasuke retorted. "Tsunade-san won it, and allowed him to keep it. That's why I'm giving you one chance, dobe. Give me the sword, or I'll win it from you."

"Just give him the sword, Uzumaki," Kanagi exclaimed in annoyance. "Think of your village."

"Yeah, Naruto-baka, give it to Sasuke-kun, if it's as strong as everyone said it is, it would be put to much better use with someone who could use it."

Naruto just rolled his eyes and signed an apology to the girls before standing up and walking towards his bedroll. Sasuke growled at his back, sick of constantly getting the brush off from someone who was so beneath him. He reached into his pouch and hurled a kunai. Everyone expected it to be aimed at Naruto, and reacted as such, but to their surprise the knife was on a collision course with an unsuspecting Haku, who had turned to watch Naruto as he left. Fortunately for her, there was a poof of smoke and instead of burying itself in her back, the kunai sunk in to Naruto's thigh all the way to the hilt as he substituted himself with her.

Not even Tsunade had a chance to get angry before the oppressive pressure of the Kyuubi's chakra forced all the genin to their knees and even made Kurenai, Kakashi, and Zabuza sweat.

" _Big mistake,_ " Naruto growled lowly, his Kunshugan spinning wildly as the orange in it was tinted with a dark red and his whiskers grew even thicker. Blood red chakra started to leak from his pores and cover him. He threw his right arm forward to punch Sasuke in the face, but was stopped as Tsunade grabbed him by the wrist. Even so, the force behind the punch was enough to knock Sasuke back with a powerful gust of wind, sending him flying into a nearby tree. Tsunade spun him into her and wrapped her arms around him tightly as she whispered in his ear soothingly.

"Calm down, Naru-kun, it's fine. You can calm down now."

The surge of chakra forced the seal on Naruto's throat to activate, allowing those who had the receiver seals to listen sadly as he muttered brokenly into Tsunade's shoulder.

"He was going to hurt her. I need to protect her. I need to protect all of them."

"It's okay, Naru-kun." Tsunade replied. "You saved her. Haku's fine."

"What if it was Tenshi-chan? Or Ao-hime? What if I wasn't fast enough? What if…"

"But you were fast enough, Naruto-kun," Kurenai whispered as she approached him. The oppressive power he was radiating was slowly fading as their words got through to him.

Tsunade turned Naruto to face Haku, who gladly embraced him as his chakra cloaked faded away. "Thank you for saving me, Naruto-kun. You don't have to be angry anymore. You protected me."

With that, the last of the Kyuubi's chakra died down and Naruto's Kenshugan deactivated. He sighed happily as he held Haku close before slipping into unconsciousness.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: And here's our next installment. The gang returns to Konoha and the next little arc starts. Thanks to the crazy amount of people who have already followed/favourited already and to those who have left reviews. I love hearing your thoughts/predictions/concerns/comments.**

 _Splash! Splash! Splash!_

Naruto ran as fast as he could from them. He didn't know how he ended up in this sewer or why the faceless mob seemed to have waited until he had gotten to his feet to start jeering and chasing him, but he was too busy to care. Memories of some of the more harsh beatings flash before his eyes, the all too familiar rush of fear fueling him to run faster as he rounded another corner. Unfortunately, the mob always seemed to be right on his tail, and were steadily gaining ground. He stumbled slightly as the memory of hiding in a tree during his sixth birthday, the pain from his usual beating dwarfed by the cold loneliness in his heart as he wondered to himself yet again why no one but the old man and the Ichirakus ever wished him a happy birthday.

Tears blurred his vision as he tripped and fell into a massive chamber. He hurried back to his feet and didn't even think as he sprinted across the room between two massive bars. He didn't stop until he ran face first into a massive furry wall.

 _Wait, furry?_

He looked up as he took notice of the steady, heavy breathing. Staring down at him were a pair of glowing red eyes, the pupils dilated into tiny slits as they observed him.

"So, my container finally comes to visit me," Naruto was frozen as the fox spoke, revealing teeth the size of small houses, "you must be either very brave or very foolish to willingly run in here, Kit."

"More like very afraid with a hint of foolishness," Naruto replied as he turned around to see his attackers had stopped about twenty feet from the cage, waiting silently for him to come back out. His attention was drawn back to the fox as it let out a great booming laugh.

"You're funny kit!" The Kyuubi turned its attention to the spectres outside its cage and growled as it let out a pulse of chakra. The ghosts wavered and disappeared, like smoke in a hurricane, and a moment later it turned its attention back on the first human it had ever sworn to help willingly. "You know, Kit, you seem awfully calm for your first introduction to the cause of all of your suffering, not to mention that I could destroy you with lass effort than it takes to breathe."

Naruto shrugged. "If you wanted to kill me, I'd already be dead by now. Also, you're not the cause for my suffering, the villagers who hurt me are."

"But they only hurt you because they can't tell the difference between us."

"Not wither of our faults if they're stupid."

The Kyuubi released another bellowing laugh, making the water ripple and the ground Naruto was sitting on shake. "You've sure got some guts, Kit, I'll give you that."

Naruto grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Thanks, Pops."

"Pops?" The Kyuubi asked incredulously.

Naruto's grin faded slightly as he looked away awkwardly. "Y-yeah. You keep calling me Kit which is the word for a baby fox, and you seem nice and you sent the people chasing me away so…" He trailed off quietly and the Kyuubi felt a soft smile pull at its snout. It knew how starved for affection Naruto was and how badly he wanted a family. Its mind made up it gently lowered one of its titanic tails and wrapped it around him, pulling him close as he curled up on the ground.

"Alright, then."

Naruto whipped his head around and stared at it in wide-eyed shock before a shining grin found its way to his face while a couple tears slid down his cheeks. He sat there for a couple minutes, basking in the feeling of acceptance before his attention was turned back to the bars of his new father figure's cage.

"Hey, Pops?" The Kyuubi grunted, cracking an eye open to show it was listening before shutting it again. "If you're here, and I can talk to you without my throat hurting, does that mean we're inside my mind?"

"Yup," the Kyuubi replied, opening its eye back up to see it what its new son was getting at. It watched as he shut his eyes in concentration before shooting to its feet, taking care to place him on its snout as a bright light started to shine down from above and the water below its feet dried up. It watched in amazement as the bars to its cage transformed from cold iron to thick, knotted wood. The walls of the sewer fell away as the bright light above them focused into a sunlit, blue sky dotted with the occasional fluffy white cloud. Beneath its feet, the Kyuubi could feel grass start to grow as more and more wooden poles shot up from the ground in either direction as far as the eye could see. The poles then began to morph as roots plunged into the ground at their bases, while branches shot out all over the rest of them. Once he had finished, Naruto looked around to take in what he had made. The bars of the Kyuubi's cage had been replaced by an endless line of gargantuan fir trees that dwarfed even the titanic fox. Stretching into the horizon were massive rolling hills, covered in rich, green grass. To their right was a giant lake surrounded by city-sized rocks for the fox to lay on and bathe in the heat of the artificial sun. "Kit… this is astounding. Thank you."

Naruto smiled at mixture of awe and happiness in the Kyuubi's giant eyes. "Just consider it my thanks for patching me up all those times. Now, if you don't mind me asking, why'd you attack Konoha on my birthday?"

The Kyuubi shifted its attention from the wonderful gift its kit had given it, and focused on the boy sitting cross-legged on its snout. "I can't tell you much at the moment, Kit, but I will tell you that I didn't do it willingly."

Naruto smiled in understanding. "That's okay, Pops. I'm glad that you didn't do it on purpose, and I can wait until you're ready. For now, I think I should get back. I don't want to worry Tsuna-sensei too much. Bye!"

The Kyuubi smiled as he waved and faded out of existence. It certainly hadn't expected to be handed the role of Naruto's father figure when it noticed him finally entering his mindscape. It didn't know anything really about being a father, but it swore that it would do everything in its power to help Naruto achieve his goals.

*(OoO)*

Groaning, Naruto woke up in what he knew to be the living room of the small apartment Tsunade and Shizune rented not too far from his own building. Tsunade had decided to live there instead of the Senju compound as it kept her out of the public eye more, and allowed her to be closer to Naruto should he need her. Speaking of his sensei, Naruto watched as she came out of the attached kitchen, a bowl of what smelled like ramen in her hands.

"Looks like someone's finally awake," she noted with a smile.

Naruto nodded and accepted the bowl with a thanks. His normal fervent eating was slowed significantly as he explained to Tsunade what had happened. He even abandoned it entirely as he enthusiastically signed to her about the Kyuubi accepting him as a sort of surrogate son. Tsunade couldn't help but laugh and shake her head, she knew the Kyuubi had sworn an oath to help Naruto, but leave it to him to find the acceptance of a father in a mountain-sized fox.

"I'm happy for you, Naru-kun," she replied once he was finished. "Now hurry up and eat, Team 8 has invited us for another day of joint training as soon as you woke up."

Naruto nodded and scarfed down his ramen before throwing on his gear. On their way to the training ground, Tsunade explained that during the day he had been unconscious, Zabuza and Haku had been taken to the T & I headquarters to begin the process of becoming leaf shinobi, and confirming their loyalty to Konoha. When they arrived, Naruto was surprised to see someone else there along with Kurenai and her team. She wore a long, tan trench coat over a tight mesh shirt and a short, orange skirt. Her long, purple hair was pulled up in a messy pony tail, but what really drew his attention were her eyes. The brown pools shone with happiness, as she spoke with Kurenai, but he could easily see passed the thin veil and see the same pain and loneliness and desperation for acceptance that he saw in his own eyes when he looked in the mirror.

Kurenai stopped listening to Anko as she noticed Naruto and Tsunade approaching. She was filled with relief at the sight of him walking, and seemingly unharmed. Her students stopped their light sparring match as they too noticed him and ran up to him with anxious questions concerning his health.

Tsunade explained that he was just fine and they walked over to Anko to introduce themselves.

"Naruto-kun, this is my good friend, Anko Mitarashi," Kurenai said. "Anko this is Tsunade-sama and her apprentice Naruto Uzumaki."

"So this is the brat that Kure-chan's been making doe eyes over for the past few weeks," Anko said with a wry smirk as she looked Naruto over from head to toe. Kurenai blushed and lightly smacked her friend on the shoulder.

"Anko! I have not!"

Naruto was oblivious to her embarrassment and quickly signed to her while Tsunade translated.

"He said 'it's nice to meet you, Hebi-Hana, I know we'll get along well together.'"

Anko gaped at the nickname while Kurenai had her turn to snicker at her friend's reaction. There was no trace of fear or distrust in his eyes. Instead she saw only understanding. It then occurred to her that he of all people would understand what it felt like to be isolated and hated simply due to your association with the real object of the villagers' hatred. Smiling softly, Anko looked into his eyes and nodded, a simple message of thanks and an offer of support from someone who understood the other's situation.

"Now that the introductions are through," Tsunade said, gaining everyone's attention. "Naruto has a few gifts for the members of Team 8."

Naruto nodded and reached into his pockets to pull out four separate sealing scrolls and handed one to each of the members of Team 8.

Shino unsealed his first and cocked an eyebrow as several jutsu scrolls and a bundle of papers with seals on them appeared in front of him.

"For you, Shino, there are a few earth and wind jutsu that should be helpful in controlling the flow of battle and moving your opponent where you want them for your bugs to take them out. Normally your clan doesn't use regular jutsu for fear of hurting your bugs, but these are all relatively easy to control earth and wind techniques so the risk should be greatly reduced. Those seals are ones that Naruto designed himself for creating various traps. Together with those techniques and your bugs you should be able to make yourself ready to take on most opponents."

Shino nodded in thanks before opening one of the jutsu scrolls and starting to read it over. Hinata was next as she unsealed her scroll. "Hinata, there are a couple scrolls on the crane taijutsu style as well as a few beginner ones on tai chi. Naruto noticed that your movements were too stiff when you fought and thought that these could help you develop a style that was more suited to you. Also, we managed to find you a rather nice bow, which Naruto has taken the liberty of enhancing with several different seals. With your Byakugan, it would be foolish not to master some form of long-range combat."

"Th-thank you, Tsunade-sama, Naruto-kun. But my clan would never allow this. If they found out I broke tradition and used a weapon like this, or took such liberties as modifying the Gentle Fist…"

"Then I guess it's in your best interest that they don't find out, isn't it?" Tsunade asked teasingly. "Besides, Naruto confirmed that the teachings of a jonin-sensei always supersede those of the genin's clan. So, if you were to say Kurenai ordered you to train with the bow…"

"Then they would have no choice but to allow it!" Kurenai finished. She beamed at the brilliance of Naruto's plan.

Naruto also handed Hinata a seal.

 _Put it on,_ he signed.

"W-what does it do?"

"Naruto said it was a substitution seal. He wouldn't tell me the conditions for it activating, but apparently when they are met, you will be substituted with a log that Naruto has hidden somewhere. He's been very tight lipped about it, which usually means a severe headache for Sarutobi-sensei, but he was rather adamant about you placing it on yourself."

Hinata looked into Naruto's eyes and saw nothing but sincerity. Nodding, she leaned down and wrapped the seal around her ankle. There was a brief flash of chakra and when she pulled the paper away, both it and her leg were blank. She started testing out the quality of her bow while Kiba unsealed his scroll.

Kurenai gasped as she recognized the pair of bladed gloves that appeared in Kiba's hands.

"Kiba, these gloves have the ability to channel your chakra. With them, your clan techniques should be even more deadly."

"Tsunade-sama, are you sure about giving Kiba those?" Kurenai asked.

"I don't see why not," Tsunade replied. "Everything Naruto has given you was found in Gato's hideout. He won that bow and those gloves off of two different missing-nin he killed. By law they're his to do with as he sees fit."

The other genin were surprised that Naruto had actually defeated not one, but at least two missing-nin himself.

"If that's true, then why give them to us?" Kiba asked.

"Easiest way to protect you," Naruto rasped. "Help you protect yourselves."

"He's got a point, Kure-chan," Anko added. "Come on, unseal yours, I wanna see what you got."

Kurenai sighed and unsealed her own scroll and found a senbon launcher and a small ninja-to.

"The senbon launcher should help you get used to executing those who get trapped in your illusions from a distance, and the blade should help with close quartered combat." Tsuande said. "Personally I also suggest you improve your strength, speed, stamina, and taijutsu. You may be a jonin, but you'll never get passed your current level unless you start expanding and increasing your training in fields other than your specialization."

Kurenai nodded, humbled at being dressed down in front of her students. Her spirits were lifted, though, when Naruto got her attention and started signing slowly.

 _Don't be sad, Tenshi-chan, it just means you have to train harder._

Smiling once more, Kurenai nodded. They quickly got under way, and by the time lunch rolled around, the members of Team 8 were exhausted from Tsunade's constant drilling and practicing with the gifts Naruto had given them. Over lunch, Naruto gave Kurenai and Hinata another lesson in sign language. Kiba, Shino, and even Anko followed along, and by the time lunch was finished, they had all asked if Naruto could continue to give them lessons some other time. Naruto beamed and nodded enthusiastically, more than happy to help his friends better understand him.

Unfortunately, the happy moment was cut short as an ANBU appeared before them in a swirl of leaves.

"Genin Uzumaki, you have been summoned to appear before the council."

Naruto sighed and nodded to the ANBU who disappeared as he stood to his feet. He looked at Tsunade, and she nodded, grabbing his shoulder as she shunshinned them both to the Hokage Tower. They both walked up the steps and down several halls before coming to a stop in front of the council chambers.

"Now just remember, keep your cool. You know better than anyone in the village what they can and can't do. Don't let them take away your control."

Naruto nodded and took a deep breath. He created a quick shadow clone who took off in the direction of the Hokage's office. He pushed open the doors and she followed him into the dark room. Tsunade immediately frowned as she noticed that the only people present at the large horseshoe shaped table were the members of the civilian council, Koharu and Homura, the elderly advisors to the Hokage, and Danzo.

"Tsunade-sama, what are you doing here?" One of the councillors asked. "We only sent out a summons for _him_."

Naruto began signing and Tsunade translated with a smile on her face. " _As you are all well aware, I am unable to speak. To account for my handicap, Tsuna-sensei has volunteered to be my interpreter._ "

"We don't care why she's here, _boy_ , she is trespassing on a council meeting that has nothing to do with her."

" _Actually,_ " Naruto signed. " _As my interpreter, Tsuna-sensei is given clearance to go wherever I go, as well as be privy to whatever information I am briefed on."_

"How do we know she's properly translating those wild… _gesticulations_ of yours?" Homura asked.

" _Because, she has registered herself as a translator with the Hokage,_ " Naruto replied.

"What you are doing hardly warrants an actual language," Koharu replied snidely. "Besides, the clearance given to translators is only applicable to foreign diplomats."

" _I think you'll find that it doesn't._ " Naruto smirked. " _The law only states that translators are to accompany their charges to all meetings and keep their thoughts and opinions to themselves for the duration of any interaction involving a language barrier unless directly addressed. As for your claim that my method of communication does not classify as a language; not only is there no definition of what constitutes a different language in any of Konoha's laws, there is a precedent to communicating via hand signals as it is the recommended method of communication between high-level shinobi while in enemy territory or when there is concern of being overheard._ "

Several members became red faced at Naruto's legal maneuvering. Danzo, on the other hand, merely shifted in his seat and observed the boy more closely. "While you may have a point from a legal standpoint, Uzumaki, this just further confirms one of the many complaints and charges that have been laid against you."

" _I'll be more than happy to hear these complaints once the Hokage arrives._ "

"The Hokage doesn't have the time to deal with the likes of you," Koharu spoke. "As his advisors, we will speak for him in this matter."

Tsunade clenched her teeth to keep from yelling out when the door flew open and the Hokage strolled in.

"What exactly is going on here?" The cool tone of his voice rang through the air, making several council members sweat with fear.

" _Hokage-sama, I was just explaining that as a shinobi of the leaf, any charges laid against me had to be presented in front of you as the affairs of the shinobi forces falls directly under you._ "

Hiruzen scowled and made his way around the table to take a seat in the center.

"You are, of course, correct, Naruto-kun," he said as he took out his pipe. "And I'm sure our esteemed council members are aware that matters concerning shinobi are not within their jurisdiction, but seeing how there are several things that do need to be discussed, I will allow them to stay while we wait for the clan heads of the shinobi council."

Naruto and Tsunade waited patiently as one by one the various clan heads arrived and took their seats opposite the civilian council.

"What is this about, Hokage-sama?" Hiashi Hyuga asked once everyone was seated.

"There are several issues that need to be discussed concerning Genin Naruto Uzumaki, and seeing as the civilian half of our council decided to invite him, I figured we might as well deal with it all now. So if we might begin…"

"I would like to discuss the reports that Genin Uzumaki has apparently acquired a previously unknown dojutsu," Danzo said, interrupting Hiruzen. Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously but said nothing as Hiruzen called the room to order, seemingly unsuccessfully. The yelling from both sides of the room when Naruto took a step back and activated his Kunshugan.

"So it's true," Tsume Inuzuka muttered. She couldn't help but look away from the swirling golden glow of Naruto's eyes. She felt something in the back of her head, it was similar to when she was younger, and there were still those who could show their dominance over her, but there was something distinctly different. Many of the other clan heads felt the same as Naruto looked around the room.

"Hokage-sama, I propose we put the boy into a breeding program. It would be beneficial to the-"

Hiruzen shook his head and cut Danzo off. "No. Konoha will not be another village known for breeding people as livestock to increase its power."

Hiashi scowled. "What exactly does this new dojutsu do?"

" _Tsuna-sensei and I are still experimenting with its abilities, but so far we have seen that it grants enhanced vision as well as an increase in observational and analytical abilities."_

"Alright, well I trust you will let me know of any further discoveries, Naruto-kun. Now what was this I heard about charges being laid against you?"

"Hokage-sama, this _boy_ attacked Sasuke Uchiha and my son Kanagi during their mission to the Land of Waves. Because of him, my son suffered from a shattered hand, while Sasuke Uchiha had several cuts along his. I demand justice for my son's pain and suffering."

Hiruzen frowned and examined Naruto standing calmly before him. "Is that claim true, Genin Uzumaki?"

" _In the broadest sense, yes, Hokage-sama, I am responsible for the injuries to two of the members of Team 7. Though if you want to be technical about it Genin Uchiha's injuries could be classified as self-inflicted."_

"How so?"

Naruto drew his sword from his belt, frowning as he reminded himself to go and get a sheath for it sometime soon. " _While occupied with Genin Sanjuro, Genin Uchiha tried to take my sword from me. The sword reacted on its own and repelled his attempts to take it._ "

"And we're just supposed to believe that?!" One of the civilians with a familiar shade of pink hair shouted.

"It is not unprecedented for certain powerful shinobi tools to react harmfully towards those who are not its current wielder," Shibi Aburame said, his voice a cool monotone.

"Who did you even steal that sword from anyway, boy?" Hiashi asked.

" _Ryosuke of The Black Death."_

"You lie. You expect us to believe that you, a mere genin less than a year out of the academy, defeated an A-Rank missing-nin?"

Naruto shook his head and let out a breathy chuckle. _"I never said I did. Tsuna-sensei killed him. She allowed me to keep the sword."_

Hiruzen noticed the significant look Tsunade gave him and decided to move the meeting along. "What about Genin Sanjuro?"

 _"I noticed Genin Sanjuro making unsolicited advances on Genin Hyuga and was about to step in when Genin Inuzuka beat me to the punch. He forced himself between the two and told Genin Sanjuro to back off. The two argued and it quickly escalated. Genin Sanjuro threw a punch but I quickly caught it as I broke the two up."_

"Then how do you explain all his knuckles being broken and several fingers being fractured and dislocated?" Kanagi's father shouted.

" _I reacted to the situation as I would any other combat situation,_ " Naruto replied. _"As such, I merely reached up and caught your son's punch in the palm of my right hand. It's not my fault if his fist broke on impact."_

"Why you little-"

Kanagi's father was cut off as Hiruzen released a small trickle of killing intent.

"That's enough. I've heard all I need to and I'm dropping all charges against Genin Uzumaki. Now seeing as this meeting was never on my schedule due to what I'm sure was simply a clerical error, I need to get back to work. As such, this meeting is now dismissed."

The council members left with many of the civilians grumbling, but Naruto's attention was fixed on Danzo, who kept watching him until he left with Tsunade and Hiruzen.

The three of them made their way to the Hokage's office where Tsunade started with giving her report of the events that had happened since they had last seen him. Hiruzen was interested to learn about their theory concerning the origin of Naruto's sword, as well as the strange resonating he felt in his arm.

"That is very interesting indeed," Hiruzen mumbled as he reached into his desk and pulled out a scroll. "Here, Naruto-kun. Ameterasu-sama left this with me the night she saved you. Hopefully it will tell you more about the abilities your new gifts grant you."

Naruto accepted the scroll and unrolled it. He quickly activated his Kunshugan and began reading.

 _The Kunshugan is a unique dojutsu only bestowed upon those deemed worthy by the gods. It cannot be inherited genetically and will only be bestowed upon the one who has shown the potential of a true leader._

 _As the eye of a monarch, The Kunshugan grants the wielder the passive ability to observe their surroundings and situations with unprecedented detail. The user is also granted with an increase of natural analytical skills as well as instincts so honed that it is impossible for them to be lied to._

 _The Kunshugan, as a gift from the gods themselves, has a plethora of abilities that make it greater than any other dojutsu._

 _The first is the ability to make time stop. So long as the user remains still, time will cease to move, allowing the user to take their time to properly analyse their enemy and develop a counter strategy._

 _Second, as the eye of Ameterasu herself, The Kunshugan allows the user to see chakra. As this ability is trained and more points of the sun reveal themselves, the understanding of chakra and all its many forms will become almost instinctive, surpassing all other ocular jutsu._

 _The third ability of the Kunshugan is to grant the user complete control over their chakra. At its base level the wielder of the Kunshugan can open and close various chakra points along their body, as well as control the flow of their chakra to prevent it from being unwillingly siphoned._

 _Use the Kunshugan with caution. While it may be the most powerful of ocular jutsu, it is a gift from the gods. Only those who have proven themselves to have an unshakable will and a pure soul can make use of its power._

 _However, the Kunshugan is not the only gift that has been bestowed upon this earth. If you are reading this scroll, then you have been deemed worthy to wield it. As such, we beseech you to find the other gifts carrying the mark of Ameterasu and save them from their lives of obscurity and servitude to unworthy masters. A great change is coming, the only question is whether it will be towards harmony or discord._

Naruto relayed what he had read to other two and Hiruzen frowned. "I don't like this idea of some great… _thing_ , coming and affecting the world. Especially if we don't know how to prepare for it."

"The best we can do is train to be as strong as we can," Tsunade said. "We've already found one of these gifts, and I can personally account for how powerful it is."

"You may be right, Tsunade," Hiruzen sighed as Naruto started signing.

 _Jiji, I've got a request._

*(OoO)*

The next three weeks passed in relative ease. Zabuza and Haku were cleared to join the ranks of leaf shinobi as chunin and genin respectively. Even though they both were far above the level of the average shinobi of their rank, the Hokage decided that they needed to prove themselves loyal to Konoha first.

Once they were cleared, they immediately took to training with Naruto and Tsunade. Zabuza started training Naruto in the ways of the sword but he was shocked when the boy said he didn't want to learn any formal kenjutsu style. Tsunade asked him why and he shrugged saying something was telling him to create his own style of both kenjutsu and taijutsu. They had agreed, though Naruto still was forced to learn from scrolls on various styles as he started work on developing the first of his styles. Anko would also join in on their training whenever she had the time. She would help out where she could, but for the most part she just enjoyed spending time with someone who was so open and accepting towards her.

Tsunade had also started him on training with his chakra natures. Each day, a contingent of shadow clones would work on one of the five elements. Haku would occasionally help him with both his wind and his water as well as speed training. She was impressed that he could almost keep up with her with his resistance seals on, and shuddered to think of how fast he moved on the days where he and Tsunade went all out in private.

Today, Naruto was in a sparring match against Team 10. Team 8 was out on another C-Rank mission and Tsunade wasn't about to let Team 7 anywhere near her student. Kakashi seemed to have started warming up to Naruto, though, as he would occasionally drop by their training, offering Naruto tips on whatever jutsu he was working on. Tsunade watched as Naruto dodged Shikamaru's shadows, blocking Chouji's enlarged hand with a gust of wind only to freeze as Ino's mind transfer technique seemed to work. Shikamaru released a sigh as he captured Naruto with his shadows only to be surprised when Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke. Meanwhile, the real Naruto burst from the ground under Ino and quickly forced her arms behind her back as he pressed his blade to her throat.

Ino squawked in surprise and Asuma dropped his cigarette. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio was famous for its teamwork and impeccable strategies but Naruto had just disassembled and outmaneuvered them like it was child's play. Of course he too could see Naruto was going easy on his students, but that just made him even more curious as to how strong Naruto really was.

They broke for lunch and Team 10 bid them farewell as they went to prepare for the C-Rank mission they were supposed to be leaving for the next day.

"So how did that new style of yours work in a fight with someone smarter than you?" Tsunade asked as they headed for the ramen stand.

 _Still needs some work_ , Naruto signed. _Controlling the flow of my chakra is hard enough without transforming it. Though the training with No Brows-sensei and Sekki-chan has really been helping._

"Do you think you'd be good enough to go against the Sharingan yet?"

 _Maybe not Kakashi-sensei, but I wouldn't mind testing myself against the teme._

They finished lunch before heading to the Hokage Tower to see if there were any C-Rank missions they could help out on. As it turned out, there was another genin team that had requested some back up defending a group of businessmen who had gotten together to discuss a possible merger of their companies. They accepted the mission and went back to their apartments to gather their supplies before joining Zabuza, Haku, and Shizune (who had a rare day off) back at Training Ground 43.

They trained for the rest of the day before breaking for dinner. They all ate dinner together at Tsunade and Shizune's apartment before Tsunade and Naruto bid them farewell and left the village under the cover of night. They ran for several hours before stopping for the night. Naruto spent the night talking with the Kyuubi as he did almost every night while his body slept. He told it about how his training was going and other inane things, but the giant fox listened intently. It even offered its input and suggestions for some of his training.

The next day they arrived at their destination just before noon. It was a large mansion with an ornate garden and a fifteen foot, iron fence surrounding the massive property. A servant let them through the gate and led them through the conspicuously empty grounds to the front door of the mansion. Once inside they were led through a veritable maze of doors and hallways before coming to a stop at what looked to be just another in a long set of identical oak doors they had seen.

"Your compatriots are through this door. You will stay be staying in this room with them while you are guarding the discussions," the servant explained rather snootily. He turned with a flourish and walked back the way they came while Tsunade opened the door.

Inside the rather spacious room were several simple beds, leading Tsunade to believe they were in the servants' quarters. Standing in opposite corners of the room were genin teams from both the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth.

In the right-hand corner nearest the door stood Team 9. The Hyuga boy looked unhappy to even have to share the same air with any of them, while the girl in the twin buns on top of her head and the slim dress glared at the team across the room. Standing behind them on their hands were Maito Gai and his apprentice, both seemingly oblivious to the situation.

In the far left corner stood the team from the Land of Earth. They consisted of a short, thin girl with black hair that went to her face and framed her face. She had dark brown eyes and stood with her arms crossed as she inspected the new arrivals. While she looked at them warily, her teammates looked downright scornful. The first was a short boy with pale, brown eyes and extremely short chocolate-brown hair. He barely came up to the first girl's shoulder, but what he lacked in height, he more than made up for in girth. He hid it well under long, baggy robes, but Tsunade's well-trained eye saw past it. From the way the robe stretched and creased in certain areas, she could tell the boy was almost entirely composed out of bulky, well-toned muscle. The other genin was almost the complete opposite of him. She was taller than Naruto –who had grown to be a decent height for his age, due in no small part to Tsunade and Shizune helping him regulate his diet –with a thin willowy frame. She had long, frizzy hair the colour of rust, and thick, round glasses that made her eyes look quite large. She wore a baggy, muddy-red tracksuit that covered her from head to toe and had a pair of long, wicked looking scimitars strapped across her back.

What really drew her attention, though, was their sensei. She immediately recognised his thick, crimson armor and the large metal furnace he wore on his back. The completely apathetic look in his eye confirmed what she already knew. His name was Han, Jinchuriki of the Five-Tailed Dolphin-Horse.

Gai looked up as the door closed and smiled at the new arrivals. "Greetings, Tsunade-sama! Student of Tsunade-sama! I and my team are most grateful for youthful haste in arriving here!"

Naruto cocked an eyebrow at the strange man. He waved to the members of Team 9, turning away as two of them simply glared at him while the other just went on with his push ups, unaware of Naruto's silent greeting. Facing the team from Iwa, Naruto focused in on their sensei. Something about him seemed familiar, and he couldn't help but stare at the man, even as their eyes met.

" _Kit, that man is a jinchuriki, like you. He has the Five-Tails sealed inside him._ "

Naruto mentally thanked his father for the information before walking up to the man and smiling. Han observed the boy in front of him with distaste. There was something familiar about him, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. He decided to be wary of him, especially considering he had just arrived accompanied by a Sannin.

"Hey punk, back off from our sensei!" The stout boy growled as he roughly shoved Naruto back. Naruto was unfazed as he ran back to Tsunade and began signing rapidly.

"What is he doing?" Han asked dispassionately.

"It's how he communicates," Tsunade explained. "He's excited to meet you."

"Why would a genin from that village of tree-huggers be interested in you, Han-sensei?" The tall girl asked.

Naruto thought about how to discretely inform Han of their similarities without alerting those that didn't know. Not coming up with an immediate answer he settled for talking to Han in private later and introduced himself to the other shinobi from Iwa.

"Greetings, Naruto Uzumaki, I am Han. These are my students, Osada, Komuro, and Kurotsuchi." Han pointed to the boy followed by the two girls in turn as he introduced them. "I am already acquainted with you Tsunade Senju."

Naruto turned back to face Tsunade. _You know Han-nii?_

Tsunade was confused by the strangely familiar way Naruto addressed a man he had just met. "We fought several times in the war." Naruto frowned, saddened that they had been forced to meet under such conditions. Tsunade turned to Gai, who had been watching the interactions with intrigue. "The report you sent was a little vague. Could you inform us as to why you called for backup?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama, we called you here because we captured a missing-nin as she tried to infiltrate the meeting between the two business moguls. She is being interrogated right now, but our youthful colleagues from Iwa informed us that she is generally known to operate with a larger group of mercenaries."

Tsunade nodded. "If that's all we know at the moment, Naruto and I are going to get some training in before dinner."

Naruto grinned and ran after her as they opened a window and jumped down to the expansive grounds behind the mansion. The second he landed, he launched himself at her while creating various clones to watch the battle through their Kunshugan. They traded blows while the members of Team 9 decided to follow them down and watch, leaving Han's team back in the quarters as most of them didn't want anything to do with anyone from Konoha.

Gai was impressed at Naruto's never-give-up attitude as he was sent sprawling across the ground yet again. He would immediately get up and charge back in. Inspired by his perseverance, he immediately started training himself, grinning when Lee joined him in running laps around the estate on their hands. Neji grunted and walked off to find a place to train in private and Tenten remained, torn between admiration for finally seeing her idol in person, and jealousy for not getting to be in the boy's place.

She watched as he drew a sword more beautiful than she had ever seen and couldn't help but squeal as she ran into the middle of the sparring match to examine it. Naruto watched, confused as the panda-haired girl ran into his sparring match.

"Where did you get that sword?" She demanded as she got uncomfortably close and started to examine every inch of the weapon.

"We won it off a missing-nin we killed on our last mission out of the village." Tsunade replied.

"It's exquisite! What's its name?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, not understanding the question.

"We don't know if it has a name or not," Tsunade said. She chuckled as Naruto looked completely out of his depth with Tenten so close to him.

Tenten huffed. "That won't do. You've gotta give a sword this nice a name!" Her eyes burned with fiery passion that made Naruto smile and nod his head. He looked down at his blade, carefully examining the dark blade, the golden sun-themed guard, and the deep red fabric wrapping the hilt.

He knew what to name it.

He quickly sheathed the sword and signed his choice to Tsunade.

"That's an excellent name, Naru-kun."

"What?" Tenten asked. "What'd he call it?"

Tsunade smiled at the young kunoichi's enthusiasm. It wasn't often nowadays to meet a kunoichi her age who actually took her shinobi duties seriously. "He says that he's going to call it Eclipse."

Tenten looked like she was about to burst as she rounded back on Naruto. "That's so _cool_! Do you think you could spar with me? I use all sorts of different weapons, so I might be able to show you a thing or two."

Naruto nodded enthusiastically, drawing the newly Eclipse once more as Tsunade went to stand just outside the ring of clones. Tenten opened strong, opening a giant sealing scroll and unsealing a barrage of kunai and shuriken which Naruto avoided by spinning, ducking, and jumping in a seemingly erratic manner. Eventually, Tenten switched to a pair of large fuma-shuriken attached to ninja wire that she threw around like giant deadly yoyos. Again, Naruto dodged over and over, making Tenten get increasingly frustrated. She had been going at full steam right from the start, and this rookie hadn't even used his sword yet. She smiled as she threw her shuriken out once more, one on top of the other so that he would be forced to block them, but he surprised her yet again by jumping at the perfect moment and spinning flat in between the two shuriken. A quick swipe of his sword while in that position sent her fuma-shuriken flying off as he sliced through the wire. She quickly unsealed a bo staff only to find that he was just as elusive in close range as long range. Every strike seemed to just miss as he spun out of the way while he continued to land quick shallow cuts that steadily drained her of her energy. It didn't take long before she was on her knees, gasping for breath as several wounds on her arms and legs bled lightly. Tsunade walked up and started healing her and she couldn't help but notice that Naruto barely looked ruffled. He had only taken a few hits during the entire match and he had brushed most of them off like they were nothing.

"So, it seems the rumors of Konoha obtaining another dojutsu are true after all." They all turned to see Han approaching in the steadily darkening grounds. Naruto grinned and ran over to greet his fellow jinchuriki. Han looked down at the boy, idly curious as to why this child kept approaching him.

"Yes," Tsunade replied. "Naruto is the sole wielder of the Kunshugan."

Han hummed. "Interesting. Distractions aside, I merely came to inform you that the interrogator your village sent is finished and would like to discuss with us what she has learned."

Naruto and Tsunade nodded while Tenten ran off to find her teammates. They followed Han back to their quarters and were shocked to find Anko lying on one of the beds, idly chewing on a stick of dango while the genin from Iwa glared at her. Naruto smiled and leapt onto the bed next to Anko, making her jump in surprise.

"Kitsu-kun! What are you doing here?"

 _Tsuna-sensei and I got called in to back you up Team 9. What are you doing here?_

"I was in the area on another mission tracking some missing-nin when one of my targets ended up trying to infiltrate the meetings here. I offered my services to find out what she knew. We had lots of fun together."

Naruto shook his head and chuckled at the sadistic smirk on Anko's face. Moments later, Team 9 arrived and the atmosphere became more serious as Anko shared what she had learned.

"From what I've gathered, your information was on the nose about that woman not working alone. She's part of a wandering clan. They planned on killing everyone here and blaming it on Han. I'm not sure why yet, as she was just a low-level grunt, but I did manage to find out that they have a forward camp about a half a day north of here."

"We can't just let them frame Han-sensei like that!" Kurotsuchi exclaimed.

"I'm inclined to agree," Tsunade added. "The businessmen here are discussing a merger that would improve relations between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth. If they are killed, tensions between the two will rise. And with the poor relationship Konoha shares with Iwa, it wouldn't take much to ignite yet another war."

"How very unyouthful!" Gai exclaimed.

"Gai-sensei, I will protect our clients with my life!" Lee shouted. "And if I fail I will run back to Konoha on my fingers!"

"As we are still within the borders of the Land of Fire, I will defer leadership to you, Tsunade Senju," Han said calmly. His students did not share his cooperative temperament.

"You can't be serious, Han-sensei!" Osada exclaimed.

"Yeah, why should we listen to a bunch of tree-huggers?" Komuro added.

"How do we know we can trust them?" Kurotsuchi asked.

"You don't have a choice," Anko replied leaning back on the bed. "Your mission has not only gone up in rank, but become a collaborative one with shinobi from another village. Seeing as we're still in the Land of Fire, that gives us jurisdiction, and as the highest ranking Konoha shinobi here, Tsunade-sama assumes command since the parameters of the mission have changed."

"She's right," Han said. "Now come, the meetings are about to resume and it is our shift. Tsunade Senju, I will leave the investigative work to your team."

Tsunade nodded and sighed as the door closed behind the Iwa shinobi. Tensions had been high between the two genin teams when she and Naruto had arrived. Now she had somehow found herself trying to avert an international incident as well as keep the genin from killing each other. Naruto, as was usually the case for Tsunade, was the only bright spot in this situation. He held no hate for the people of Iwa, and as such, his cheerful personality had him immediately trying to befriend the rock shinobi. She was a little concerned about his newly acquired fixation on his fellow jinchuriki. Han was well known for holding nothing but distaste for humanity at the best of times. If he found Naruto to be a nuisance, then things could rapidly spiral out of control.

 _On the other hand,_ She thought, _if anybody could get through to him, it would be Naruto_. She couldn't help but imagine the political opportunities that could open up if a friendship was formed between two jinchuriki of different villages. It would be a big first step towards repairing relations with Iwa, and could help promote peace if two bitter enemies could find some way to bury the hatchet.

Her attention was drawn back to her student as he pulled on her sleeve to get her attention before signing. She smiled at his question and turned to Gai to relay it.

"Gai, my student has a request for you."

"How may I help you, Naruto-kun?" Gai asked with a beaming grin.

"Naruto was wondering if he could speak to you about a taijutsu style he's been working on. As Konoha's taijutsu expert, he was hoping you could provide some input."

If possible Gai's grin grew as he leapt toward Naruto, frightening him with his speed and forcing him to unconsciously flex his muscles in preparation to either run or fight. He landed in front of Naruto, his arm held forward in a thumbs-up. "I would love to help you in your youthful learning of the great art of taijutsu, Naruto-kun! Come, Lee will be your sparring partner!"

He and Lee leapt back out the window with a cry of excitement, and Naruto, Tsunade, and Anko followed them out, slightly perturbed at their endless overenthusiasm when it came to training.

"So, Naruto-kun, how may my student and I be of service?" Gai asked.

"Maybe Naru-kun and Lee could spar for a few rounds while you observe?" Tsunade suggested.

Naruto and Lee nodded and were trading blows within seconds. Lee was impressed by Naruto's speed and evasiveness, while Naruto was stupefied that there was a genin who was faster and stronger than him. He could tell that Lee was wearing training weights on his legs, and so wasn't quite sure who would come ahead in terms of raw power if they both removed their handicaps, but in a match consisting solely of taijutsu, it was clear that he was outclassed.

"I'm surprised," Gai said seriously as he stood with Tsunade and Anko watching as Lee's crushing blows hit nothing but air over and over. "The way he moves, what style is it?"

"It's one of Naruto's own invention," Tsunade replied.

"Surely you can't be serious, Tsunade-sama?" Gai asked, shocked that a genin would be able to develop their own style of taijutsu when normally it took masters several decades to perfect their own personal style.

"She is," Anko replied. "Naruto's been working on it for a while now."

"But why? There are hundreds of taijutsu forms in Konoha alone, why develop his own."

"In a word," Tsunade said, barely restraining the bitterness in her voice. "The Sharingan."

"I don't believe I follow, Tsunade-sama."

"As I'm sure you're aware, Naruto hasn't had the easiest of childhoods," Tsunade explained. "He had to teach himself how to do most things as almost everyone refused to teach him. He has worked harder than everyone except maybe your own student to get where he is, and the manifestation of his dojutsu has only pushed him to work harder."

"I am glad that he does not allow the arrogance of a bloodline to interfere with his hard work," Gai said. "But what does this have to do with the Sharingan? Does he simply wish to prove his eyes are better than the Uchiha's?"

Tsunade shook her head. "While the Uchiha clan did treat him worse than most before the massacre and the last surviving heir does not do much to repent for that, that's not why he wants to surpass the Sharingan."

"Then why?"

"Because to him, it's cheating," Anko replied solemnly. "He can't stand the fact that no matter what jutsu he learns, or what style he masters, all the Uchiha has to do is watch him with his Sharingan and he'll learn it, forgoing the hundreds of hours of back-breaking work the rest of us put into mastering our skills."

Gai nodded as he watched Naruto spin around another kick from Lee only to take a vicious punch to the ribs. He continued to watch his student struggle to predict his opponent's erratic movements before it dawned on him.

"He wants to create a style that can't be copied."

"In a way," Tsunade said. "He actually plans on creating five styles and combining them into one that will be unique to him."

"Tsunade-sama, such a task… it would take decades!"

Tsunade smirked. "Considering Naruto's use of shadow clones to maximize his training, it won't quite take that long. But he is determined to do it, regardless of how difficult it is."

For the second time that day, Gai was inspired by the perseverance of the boy. His determination and drive to succeed perhaps even surpassed Lee's, proving him to be a true genius of hard work.

"Explain to me these styles, and I will do my best to help where I can," he said seriously.

Tsunade smiled at the way Naruto inspired others without even trying and took a moment to stare fondly at the boy she saw as her son before diving into her explanation. "I will explain it to you, but you must keep it a secret just as I'm going to keep the fact that you've taught your student to open the Eight Gates." Gai and Anko both looked at her, shock clear on their faces.

"How did you know?" Gai asked.

"I'm the best medic on the planet," Tsunade bragged as way of explanation. "I'm also aware of the fact that Lee can't mould chakra properly, which is the only reason I'm not reporting you to Sarutobi-sensei for doing something as stupid as teaching a genin to open the Gates."

"Thank you for your understanding, Tsunade-sama," Gai said with a bow. "If you are willing to keep Lee's abilities to yourself than I too will carry any details pertaining to your student to the grave."

Tsunade nodded, satisfied with his answer. "What only a select few know about the Kunshugan is that it gives Naruto the ability to master all five forms of nature manipulation. Since learning this, he's been fascinated by the nature of chakra and how it interacts with the world around us. As such, he's taken to using the elements themselves as the basis for the styles he's creating."

"As you can see, the one he's using right now is based on wind," Anko divulged. "He spent days watching the way leaves fell to the ground and moved in the breeze."

"That's astounding," Gai said, watching as Naruto cartwheeled over one of Lee's kicks, planting his feet on the other boy's shoulder blades and kicking off into a backflip. The force of his jump forced Lee, who was still off balance from his kick to tumble to the ground. "So, he focuses on evasion to force his opponent off balance, using a series of circular movements to preserve momentum."

"That's correct," Tsunade replied. "This style doesn't have much raw power, as he will undoubtedly develop another for that, but it's quite useful when combined with his kenjutsu, ninjutsu, and fuinjutsu."

They continued to watch for several minutes until the sparring match came to an abrupt halt. Naruto had been evading an axe kick from Lee, but had inadvertently left himself open. Lee took the opportunity and punched Naruto in the shoulder. Hard.

Naruto was sent skidding across the ground, but was relatively unharmed while Lee had dropped to his knees, clutching his broken hand with a cry of pain. Tsunade immediately stepped in, examining Lee's hand before performing a quick healing jutsu. Naruto simply watched, stupefied, as his friend clenched his teeth in pain. He hadn't meant to let Lee hit his prosthetic arm. But because he wasn't careful, he had inadvertently injured him. He didn't realize that his breathing had quickened as he watched his sensei working on the injury.

 _"Kit, it's okay, you didn't do anything."_

His father's voice rang through his head, but he just couldn't shake the panic that was slowly clutching at his heart. What if Lee hated him for injuring him? What if Tsunade and Anko started to resent him for going too far? These thoughts swirled around his mind, slowly spiraling into memories of being chased away amidst cries for his death.

He hadn't even realised he had moved until warm arms encircled him, holding him close. The smell of lilac entered his nose and he felt his face being held against something soft. "Hebi-hana?" He croaked, confused as to why she would be hugging him on the roof of the opposite side of the mansion.

"It's okay, Naruto-kun," Anko said soothingly. "They don't think you did it on purpose and they don't hate you."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because, I feel the same way whenever I train with Kure-chan and she winds up getting injured. It was a training accident, they happen. Tsunade-sama will have his hand good as new by tomorrow."

"You're sure?" Naruto's eyes were pleading for the hope she gave him not to be misplaced. He smiled when all he saw in her warm chocolate gaze was warmth, comfort, and understanding. They continued to look into each other's eyes as their faces slowly drew together. They were less than an inch apart when a dull thud caught their attention and forced them apart. They both looked out over the front courtyard and Naruto spotted two figures darting between the bushes towards the front door. Anko prepared to jump down when Naruto grabbed her arm and shook his head.

"I have an idea."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Not terribly happy with how this chapter turned out, but I got where I needed to be, so you win some you lose some. Thanks again for the follows/favourites and please keep reviewing, I like hearing your thoughts.**

The assassin smirked as he and his partner infiltrated the mansion. Sticking to the shadows, they carefully wound their way through the halls in search of their targets. They split up once they had cleared the first floor. One heading up to continue the search for the businessmen staying there, the other going down to look for where their captured colleague was being kept.

Sticking to a shaded corner between the wall and the ceiling, the assassin watched as one of the genin from the Land of Earth walked by. The boy let out a yawn, oblivious even as his predator dropped down silently, right behind him. He slid a short, matte black blade from his belt and drove it into the boy's neck. He cursed as the boy disappeared in a puff of smoke, replaced with a nearby table. The boy ran down the hall, shouting about an intruder. He cursed his luck and turned around to leave. They may not be able to achieve their primary objective, but so long as his partner wasn't spotted, their secondary one would remain unhindered. Sprinting down the hall, he slid as a pair of scimitars descended from the open door next to him. Raising his dagger, he deflected the blades as he slid under them, and kept running, hoping to lead the shinobi on a merry chase.

Kurotsuchi swore as she ran towards the sounds of combat. She was at a severe disadvantage, as she couldn't use any of her bloodline techniques without risking burning the mansion to the ground. She rounded the corner and skidded to a stop as she faced the assassin running towards her, with her teammates in hot pursuit. She barely had time to make her first hand seal when a strong arm slammed into her stomach, knocking the air out of her lungs as the assassin used their collective momentum to spin and hurl her at her teammates. The three of them landed in a pile as a loud crash of glass breaking told them the assassin had leapt from the window. Quickly righting themselves, they followed him out the window where the members of Team 9 were sprinting to meet him. The assassin seemed almost amused as he stood between the six genin. They all moved in a flurry of motion, but their opponent was like smoke as he slipped between their attacks. He took advantage of the general lack of cooperation between the two genin teams and had just thrown Osada into the girl with the twin buns in her hair and was rapidly descending on her, blade poised to strike right at her neck.

She watched with a sort of morbid fascination as the blade approached in slow motion. There was no time to get away, and she knew that in mere moments, her dream of succeeding her grandfather as Tsuchikage would be cut short.

 _Clang!_

All the other genin stared wide-eyed as Naruto suddenly appeared standing in between Kurotsuchi and her death. In his hand was the assassin's curved blade, shaking as the man tried to free it from his iron grip. Abandoning the weapon the assassin jumped back as he and Naruto engaged in what Kurotsuchi thought was more of an intricate dance than a fight. Both had a hard time even landing blows as they spun around each other.

The back and forth ended after a couple minutes of high-speed movement with Naruto managing to shove his palm into the man's throat just as he took a particularly nasty punch to the ribs. Naruto was sent flying back, and the other genin were about to take that as their cue to rejoin the fight when the sound of a chugging furnace rumbled through the night air. Kurotsuchi and her teammates smiled, immediately recognizing the sound as that of their sensei. Not a moment later, he appeared, slamming his heel into the ground the assassin had previously occupied.

"Who are you, and what is your intention?" Han asked, his voice carrying the slightest hint of a growl.

Though she couldn't see his face through the dark mask that matched his bodysuit, Kurotsuchi could tell their opponent was smirking. His voice came out muffled by his mask.

"Don't worry, you'll find out."

Han charged to strike the man, but once again missed as he jumped away before seemingly vanishing into thin air.

*(OoO)*

"I can't believe you let him go!"

"We let him go?! If you tree-huggers hadn't gotten in our way, we would have taken him down easily!"

"Please, you were fated to lose the second you tried engaging someone of his level."

"Neji-san has a point. Your most unyouthful attitude and unwillingness to cooperate provided our enemy with many opportunities to outmaneuver us."

"Please, if anything threw me off my game, it was that ugly suit of yours and those terrifying caterpillars on your forehead. Besides, where were the jonin from your village? At least Han-sensei came to help us once he had dealt with the other assassin."

Naruto sighed from his place on the roof just outside the window to their quarters. Tsunade, Gai, Anko, and Han had left them alone to go speak with their clients about the incident and reassure them that everything was fine. Naruto had told them to mention that he was happy to repair any damage done during the assassination attempt. Hopefully that would be one less thing for the two groups of shinobi to argue about.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he sensed somebody join him on his little patch of rooftop. "I'm really sorry about them." He looked up to see Kurotsuchi sitting cross-legged next to him, looking out across the estate grounds. He waved off her apology, and she looked down at him curiously. "Why did you save me?"

Naruto frowned, trying to understand the question. Shouldn't he have saved her? That's what you did when a comrade was in danger wasn't it? Kurotsuchi, however misinterpreted his silence, and sighed, shaking her head with a chuckle. "Right, I forgot about the whole can't-talk thing. This must be a sight, I'd rather have a conversation with a mute than spend another minute with my own team."

"I can talk," Naruto croaked. He grinned mischievously at the gobsmacked expression on Kurotsuchi's face.

"Then what's with the whole…" She waved her hands around wildly, making him laugh at her imitation of him signing.

"It's easier," he replied. "I can't talk very loud, and it hurts my throat."

"Oh, well in that case, could you answer my question?"

Naruto smiled and leaned his head back against the roof, staring at the endless sea of stars above their heads. "Lots of reasons. But mostly, because that's what you do when someone needs help."

"Yeah but we're from rival villages, we could become enemies at any moment."

Naruto shrugged. "But we're not right now. These meetings will make relations between our countries better because instead of two companies doing whatever it is these guys do-"

"The one from the Land of Earth mines precious metals, and the one from the Land of Fire owns a bunch of factories and stuff."

Naruto nodded, thankful for the information. "Either way, if these meetings go according to plan, there'll be one big company doing all that stuff in both countries. That means there's less of an incentive for our countries or our villages to go to war."

"Okay, so you're some sort of naïve idealist," Kurotsuchi summarized, prompting Naruto to chuckle. "What about your other reasons?"

"You're the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage. If you died on a mission with shinobi from the leaf, he would never forgive himself and never trust Konoha or the Land of Fire again. Also, it would have made Han-nii sad."

Kurotsuchi arched an eyebrow at the strange term of endearment for her sensei. "I don't know how you know Han-sensei, but clearly you don't know him as well as you think if you think he would be sad about any of our deaths. He hates people."

Naruto frowned sadly as he thought about her words. "Maybe he does. But I can tell that he's lonely, and that when he's with you and your teammates, even if he doesn't show it, he doesn't feel quite so alone." Kurotsuchi scoffed. She didn't bother to argue with him. People like this guy didn't change their views from mere words alone. "So why don't you hate us as much as your teammates do?"

Kurotsuchi heaved a sigh and leaned back to lay next to him as she stared at the sky. "Komuro is from a civilian family. They hate Konoha more than anyone else, and I guess their views just got passed down to her. Osada, on the other hand, is from one of our few clans with a bloodline. His clan took some serious losses in the war as their bloodline makes them ideal frontline soldiers. Nowadays, there aren't many left in his family. Like you said, I'm the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage. I love my village, and do plan to succeed him someday, but when I do, I want to rule Iwa _my_ way. If that means letting go of my hate for your village over a war that happened before I was born, then so be it."

Naruto grinned and sat up and stuck his hand out to her with a grin. "Then as future Hokage, I promise to do everything to help our two villages move away from the past and towards a peaceful future."

Kurotsuchi looked from his shining grin to his hand and back again before bursting into a fit of giggles. Naruto frowned, a little annoyed at the idea of her laughing at his promise. "S-Sorry…" she gasped as she caught her breath. "That was just _so_ corny." Her eyes turned hard as she became serious and a bright fire burned within them when she clenched his hand. "As the future Tsuchikage, I also promise to help our villages to move past the hatred of the past."

They both grinned conspiratorially before separating as Kurotsuchi stood up. "Well, it sounds like they've finally quieted down in there, so I'm gonna hit the hay." She winked with a mischievous grin on her face. "See you tomorrow, Naruto-dono."

Naruto grinned and laid back on the roof, closing his eyes as he entered his mindscape to spend some time with his dad. He frowned as he appeared outside the massive treeline that formed the bars of the seal, hurrying past them just as the faceless spectres appeared once more. As per usual, they didn't get near the bars of the seal, and he was left alone to search for his surrogate father.

"You know, you're going to have to face them someday."

He smiled as a furry tail wrapped around his body and lifted him onto the Kyubi's snout. "I know, but I don't feel ready yet. Can I just stay with you for now?"

Kyubi smiled softly as he took off at a trot towards the giant lake it liked to sleep near. "Of course you can, Kit."

They laughed and talked for a few hours before Naruto felt a presence approaching his body. Before he knew what had happened, the forest disappeared and he and his dad found themselves in an empty dimly lit space.

"So, my instincts were correct."

Looking down from Kyubi's snout, Naruto realized they weren't actually alone. Standing on the ground in front of them was Han. Naruto jumped down from the Kyubi's snout and landed in front of him, smiling in greeting.

"Han-nii! What are you doing here?"

"I sensed something familiar about you. It seems that you, like me, are a jinchuriki. I have brought us to a sort of shared mindscape. It is where jinchuriki and Tailed-Beast alike may communicate with one another. What I don't understand is why you maintain this façade of comradery with the other humans."

"What are you talking about, Han-nii?" Naruto asked. "I love my precious people. They make me happy."

"But surely you know that they will abandon you once they learn the truth about you?"

"Maybe, but there are a few who already know and don't care. Also, Dad here isn't exactly about to leave me high and dry anytime soon either."

Han narrowed his eyes as he looked between the boy and the fox he was smiling at.

"Now this is something to behold," a rumbling voice echoed from behind Han. "I'm disappointed, Brother, I didn't think you would resort to the same tricks as Shukaku to manipulate your container."

There was a loud thumping as a giant, horse-like creature emerged from the darkness behind Han. It was significantly smaller than Kyubi, but Naruto was in awe of its size nonetheless. Kyubi snarled at the implication that it was manipulating its kit, but Naruto waved him off as he walked passed Han to stand in front of the Gobi. He noted that, unlike his father who stood with him unobstructed in this shared mindscape, the Gobi was held back by giant bars not unlike the ones he had seen when he first me his dad.

Han watched with intrigue as the boy walked by him and approached the Five-Tails without a shred of fear. He came to a stop in front of the barrier he kept up to keep the Gobi back, and to the surprise of both Jinchuriki and Tailed-Beast alike, bowed low in front of the massive dolphin-horse.

"Thank you for keeping my fellow jinchuriki safe all these years."

Kyubi watched as its son thanked a being that, while much weaker than it, was still considered a force of nature to be feared. It contained a chuckle as both its sibling and the older jinchuriki gaped, not knowing what to do. They remained speechless even after Naruto walked back over to his father and waved goodnight to them before fading away back to his own mindscape. Finally, the Gobi broke the silence after several minutes.

"It seems we both have interesting siblings."

Han hummed at the observation, fading back to the outside world. He stood there on the roof, watching silently as Naruto breathed softly.

 _I'm curious to learn more about you… Little Brother._

*(OoO)*

The next day started almost as hectically as the last ended. Naruto and Kurotsuchi tried to play the peacekeepers between the two genin teams. Unfortunately, all they managed to achieve was an icy ceasefire, with both teams standing in the same corners they had been when Naruto had arrived the day before. While the moment of quiet was appreciated, Naruto knew that nothing had really been solved. All it took was for all of their sensei to return to the room before the yelling and accusations started to fly once more.

Tsunade didn't have the patience to deal with their petty squabbling, especially not after spending the night explaining what had happened to their clients and trying unsuccessfully to convince them to postpone the arrival of their various board members and lawyers as they moved toward more concrete negotiations for the merger. Desiring to simply take a nap and then maybe get some food and training with her student, she unleashed enough killing intent to make Anko and Gai start to sweat. Han seemed mostly unaffected, though it was clear her small exertion of power set him on edge reflexively. The members of Han's team and Team 9 were all gasping in fear as they felt the crushing fear Tsunade's power instilled. The only one seemingly unaffected whatsoever was Naruto. He simply stood watching with a frown on his face as he waited for her to finish.

Confident she now had their attention, she stopped her little demonstration. "Now that you're all done whining, we can get this meeting underway."

"Tsu-Tsunade-sama," Tenten stuttered, still slightly afraid at the display of raw power. "We managed to intercept the assassin as he escaped via the window, but due to a number of… _complications_ ," she glared at the genin from Iwa as she spoke, "we were unable to subdue him. Naruto was the only one who managed to land a hit before Han-san joined the fight prompting the assassin to escape."

"So he got away?" The other genin swallowed nervously before nodding. Tsunade turned to Naruto. "And you managed to lay your hand on him?" Naruto nodded, and Tsunade smiled. "Good, then that means everything is going according to plan."

"But he got away!" Komuro retorted.

"Of course he did," Anko replied. "If he was anything like his buddy we fought, he was at least high-chunin to low-jonin in terms of skill. Six genin who couldn't work together when their lives literally depended on it wouldn't pose too much of a challenge to him."

Tenten, Komuro, Osada, and Neji looked affronted at her accurate analysis of what happened to them while Lee looked down sadly. Kurotsuchi had a contemplative look on her face.

"Anko-san, does that mean our enemy was not alone?"

Anko nodded. "Naruto and I saw them enter the grounds from the roof. Tsunade-sama, Gai, Han and I intercepted the other assassin after he had executed our prisoner to ensure she didn't give us any more information. We managed to injure him before letting him go and meet up with his pal."

"Why'd you let him go?" Osada demanded. "Now we don't have any leads! I knew this would happen working with a bunch of tree-huggers."

Anko narrowed her eyes at the boy's outburst and was about to release her own killing intent to remind him just where he was on the food chain when a strange pressure beat her to it, and shut him up. Osada froze as Naruto marched in front of him, Kunshugan spinning as he glared down at him.

"Those questions sound an awful lot like insubordination," Naruto growled, his voice low. "I'd mind your tone when addressing your superiors, especially when you are in their territory."

Osada tried to glare back at Naruto, but the pressure simply increased, forcing him to his knees while the other genin started to sweat from the ambient pressure. Anko frowned, but pushed her curiosity to the side as she placed her hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"That's enough, Naruto, I think you've made your point." An instant later the strange pressure disappeared and Osada gasped as he stood back up shakily. Han turned to Tsunade and inclined his head in apology. Tsunade waved him off before scowling at the genin.

"To answer your question, we let him go on purpose. Just as we purposefully let him kill our prisoner. Why do you think it took so long for Han to show up to help you?"

Kurotsuchi's eyes widened and she spun around to face Naruto. "You placed a bug on him!"

Naruto grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.

"In a way, yes, Naruto and I did manage to bug our opponents before letting them escape," Tsunade said as she pulled out two large scrolls and unrolled them, revealing large, intricate sealing arrays on both of them.

"Woah," Tenten exclaimed. "I've never seen anything so complex. What does it do?"

"As I'm sure you all saw, Naruto isn't completely mute. To allow him to speak with certain people without raising his voice he created a seal that sends his voice directly to the ears of any who wear the receiver seal."

Everyone except Anko was astounded to hear about Naruto's impressive grasp of sealing to be able to create such a workaround to his disability.

"So then, this is just a big receiver seal?" Kurotsuchi asked.

Tsunade nodded. "Naruto created modified versions of the seal he has on his throat that will discretely transmit to these receivers without being detected the way a radio transmitter would be." To prove her point, the sounds of conversation started pouring out of the two scrolls indicating the two assassins had returned to their forward camp. "Now we'll be able to figure out who hired these people and what their goals are."

The next week was spent with the members of Team Han and Team Gai rotating between guarding their clients, watching the gate and inspecting each of the numerous new arrivals that steadily streamed in, and training themselves into the ground. Naruto had already sent transformed clones to every corner of the mansion to keep an eye on things, and split his time between training, hanging out with Anko as they listened to the receiver seals, or occasionally speaking with his clients through Tsunade, who could normally be found with them.

Hiro Morimoto, the man who owned the mansion they were staying in was older with a love of books and scrolls. He was overjoyed to learn of Naruto's voracious appetite for learning and even granted him access to his library, where a plethora of books and scrolls from throughout the ages were stored in an impressive collection. He was fascinated by some of the stories from Naruto's past, laughing as Naruto described some of his more famous pranks on the people of Konoha. When Naruto had mentioned his adventures in the Land of Waves, and how he had defeated Gato, both Hiro and Koda, the businessman from the Land of Earth, had listened with rapt attention. When he told them that Tsunami was now running the majority of Gato's companies, they started beaming with happiness.

They explained to him that Gato had been nipping at the fringes of their companies. Slowly expanding into their industries and using whatever means necessary to continue to grow. They had been momentarily relieved when he had set his sights on the Land of Waves, though they had no idea why he would suddenly drop everything to essentially take over a country. However, they and a few of the other bigger names in the business world hadn't been given any time to relax, as they knew that it was only a matter of time before Gato set his power-hungry gaze back on them. Hearing that Gato's companies had changed hands was some of the best news they had heard in a long time, and they resolved to work harder to iron out their merger so that they could start working with Tsunami before someone else came along.

As a thanks for what he unwittingly did for them, Hiro had told him that he wanted to give Naruto a scroll from his own personal collection. Naruto had tried to refuse, stating that he had just done what was right, but Hiro was having none of it. Naruto's protests were cut short as they entered the library and Hiro uncovered a safe behind one of the bookshelves. He opened it, and Naruto had to stop signing as a familiar throbbing sensation pulsed through his right arm. He grit his teeth and grabbed his arm as Tsunade looked at him with concern.

She was about to ask him what was wrong when Hiro turned around and her jaw dropped. In his arms was a massive scroll, at least four feet in length. It was wrapped coloured a deep royal blue with intricate gold designs running along it. The seal holding it closed was in the shape of a swirling sun, and she immediately knew what she was looking at.

"As you know, I used to fancy myself quite the collector," Hiro explained. "I came into possession of this particular scroll over thirty years ago, through a series of back-alley deals with characters far shadier than I would like to ever see again. Neither I, nor any professionals I've hired have ever been able to undo the seal, so I have no idea what it says. Clearly someone went to great lengths to keep it from being opened by just anyone. But after seeing a similar design on the hilt of your sword, something tells me that this scroll is better off with you than just gathering dust in some old man's safe."

Naruto accepted the scroll and bowed low in thanks. He had discussed with Tsunade the idea of signing the Slug Contract, so he knew what he held was indeed a summoning scroll. Unlike before, when he had declined to form a pact with the slugs, citing that it just didn't feel right, this scroll was almost calling out to him, pleading with him to sign it.

"Naru-kun, it's probably a better idea to wait until we're in a more private setting," Tsunade suggested.

Naruto nodded and sealed the scroll away in one of the many storage seals he kept on his body. Smiling he bowed to Hiro once more and they returned to the meeting room.

*(OoO)*

"I got something!"

Tsunade called for a halt and Naruto and Kurotsuchi froze as they also heard Anko's voice shout from the window. It had been another week since Naruto had been given the summoning contract. The more she thought about it, the more she was sure in her decision to wait on signing it. If the contract was with a creature anywhere near as powerful as she thought, there would be little chance of testing it out inconspicuously. Not wanting to end up accidentally destroying their client's mansion, they agreed to wait until they were on their way back to Konoha to sign the contract.

At the moment they were joined by Han and the rest of his team as they stood around the table with the remaining receiver seal. They had been dismayed when the assassin that the senior members of their group had faced was killed by the one the genin had fought three days prior. The assassin didn't offer much in way of explanation as to why he killed his own partner, but their best guess was the man saw his injured colleague as a liability and had decided to dispose of him before the main contingent of the wandering clan's forces arrived that night.

"What is it?" Tsunade asked.

"It seems their leader has arrived early and our boy's been summoned to meet with him."

They listened closely as the sounds of activity faded with the rustle of fabric, indicating their target had entered a tent.

 _"Kurokawa-sama, you're early."_ The soft tone of the assassin still carried a hint of arrogance as he addressed his leader. It was actually the first time any of them had even heard him speak, as the man seemed to be quite the loner. The best they had been able to do was listen in on some of the other bandits' conversations whenever he left his tent.

 _"Our client was anxious to hear your report, Fukase,"_ A deep voice, whom they assumed to be Kurokawa said.

 _"I did exactly as ordered, Kurokawa-sama,"_ Fukase replied. _"I engaged the shinobi guarding the businessmen and have placed the seal within the grounds. When the rest of our men arrive, they will have unfettered access to the mansion. It will be nothing but rubble by tomorrow morning."_

 _"And what of your partner?"_ A third voice asked. This was one was female and spoke in a husky whisper.

 _"He managed to eliminate any chance of our targets learning of our plan before escaping injured,"_ Fukase reported.

 _"And where is he now?"_

The smirk in Fukase's tone was unmistakeable. _"He was wounded. It's in the very nature of a predator to devour the weakest prey first."_

Tsunade shuddered. Something about the way he said it made her think Fusake wasn't being as metaphorical as he would like to believe. The woman sounded unimpressed as she addressed Kurokawa.

 _"I've heard all I need to hear. I will be joining you tonight to test the Five-Tails Jinchuriki myself."_ The sounds of footsteps could be heard as the woman left the tent, but stopped as Kurokawa called after her.

 _"And what about our pay, Konan?"_

 _"You'll get your money when the job is done."_

Tsunade frowned. Something about that name seemed familiar. Naruto tugged on her sleeve and started signing.

 _My clones have found the seal. It looks like an extremely complex summoning seal that will transport anyone standing in a corresponding one to it regardless of distance._

Tsunade nodded, translating what he said for the rest of the group. She shoved her thoughts about her client away and turned back to the present.

"Can you disable it?"

Naruto grinned mischievously.

 _I can do better than that._

The rest of the day passed in tense silence as they all prepared for the coming fight. Naruto had modifying the seal Fukase had left, not giving any details as to the fate of any unfortunate enough to try using the seal to summon themselves within the walls of the mansion. The other genin prepared to defend themselves against any attackers who eventually made it to the mansion, while Anko, Han, Gai, Tsunade and himself prepared to infiltrate their camp through a modified replica that Naruto had drawn that would send them there. As night approached, they finished their final preparations and all gathered on top of Naruto's seal.

Anko was surprised at how quickly it all happened. One moment they are standing in the mansion, the next, the same feeling she got when she used the substitution technique told Anko that Naruto's seal had worked. They stood on a similar seal near the outskirts of the advace camp and she and Gai sprang into action, killing the two shocked guards before they could utter a sound while Naruto created a contingent of shadow clones. The clones transformed into all sorts of small creatures before the smoke from their summoning had even dispersed and hurried into the forest to scout out the camp. Less than five minutes later, another puff of smoke appears in front of them and from it topples a woman with blue hair, in a black cloak. All in all, they were back in the mansion, setting their prisoner up in the basement in under fifteen minutes.

*(OoO)*

Konan groaned as consciousness slowly returned to her. She remembered being in her tent in that horrible camp and wishing Nagato could have sent literally any other member of their organization to associate with a group of men who acted no better than barbarians. She could feel every last one of them looking at her like she was a piece of meat to be devoured, almost literally, in one case. She had been in the middle of reminding herself that her mission came first, and that she was just there to observe the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, when she felt a presence behind her. She had spun around, punching her would be attacker in the face just as he jumped at her only for him to disappear in a puff of smoke. She couldn't remember anything past that except for the feeling of her muscles losing control as darkness surrounded her.

Now she was awake in what looked to be some sort of storage cellar. A brief survey told her that she still couldn't move and her ability to mold her chakra had been sealed. The door opened and three people joined her. The first she recognised as Orochimaru's old student. They had researched him extensively when he had joined Akatsuki, and even more thoroughly when he left them. This woman had appeared several times in Orochimaru's records before his desertion of Konoha. The second was a woman who brought memories of her past floating to the surface. Tsunade Senju, one of the Sannin and teammate to her old sensei. The last she didn't recognise. He was maybe a little taller than five feet, with shaggy blond hair, and the most striking pair of blue eyes she had ever seen. She couldn't help but get lost in his eyes as they shone with something she hadn't seen since Yahiko's death.

"So, your finally awake," Anko said as she took a position in front of Naruto.

"It was not wise capturing me," Konan replied calmly.

"It wasn't wise to allow yourself to be captured," Anko shot back. "You've been out for a few days. Your little band of brigands turned tail and ran when they noticed that their buddies were dying before they even made it to the mansion and the lady footing their bill had suddenly vanished. I think it's safe to say that's not the greatest impression to leave on a wandering clan."

"The bandits mean nothing to me," Konan said. "They were simply a means to an end."

Naruto eyes stung as he narrowed them. He felt like there was something missing when he looked at the beautiful woman sitting before them. Like he just needed to figure out that one last piece and he would see the bigger picture.

Meanwhile, Anko blew out a breath. "Well that's good to hear. I was almost worried there was someone out there who would miss you. Now, this normally the part where the interrogator says we could do this the easy way, or the hard way, but you strike me as a respectable gal." She stood up and pulled out a sealing scroll from the pocket of her trench coat. Spreading it out on the table, she unsealed a variety of tools. "You don't take the easy way out of anything, do you? Lucky for us, those stuffy businessmen finished their talks and have left to go celebrate wherever it is rich, old guys go to celebrate, so that means you and I have this entire mansion to really get to know each other."

Konan kept her face impassive, steeling her resolve as her torturer took her time to pick her first instrument. She knew she would die before she sold Nagato out. Averting her eyes from the instruments of pain lined up in front of her, Konan chose to lose herself once again in those blue eyes and their youthful optimism. She almost chuckled at the look of sadness and regret in his eyes. It was if the boy was pleading with her to answer their questions. She allowed the barest hint of sympathy for his soon to be lost innocence to leak into her expression, and braced herself as Anko walked around the table.

The stinging in his eyes increased in severity, and Naruto unconsciously channeled his chakra to his eyes. The stinging immediately stopped, only to be replaced by a pounding headache.

 _Congrats, Kit. You managed to unlock the next level for those eyes of yours._ Kyubi said as Naruto struggled to sort through the veritable flood of information.

"Wait," he said quietly, causing Anko to freeze as she filled a needle with dark green liquid. She stared at Naruto in awe as his Kunshugan now had one glowing triangle spinning around his iris. He took a seat across from Konan and she found she was even more entranced by his eyes in this state. They glowed with a power that outshone even Nagato's eyes. There was a light in them that was brighter than his ever were, even before Yahiko's death. "What are your organization's goals?"

Konan narrowed her eyes. "What makes you think I'm part of an organization?"

"You do," Naruto said. "You said that we made a mistake in capturing you. Seeing as someone as skilled as you must be aware of the position you're in, that means someone else would make us regret capturing you. That, mixed with the fact that that ugly coat you were wearing that didn't at all match what you're wearing underneath means it's some kind of team uniform."

"That's a rather astute observation for one so young," Konan replied

"And you're pretty skilled for someone so young. Granted, there are other S-Class criminals who are younger, but none with an ability as unique as your own." Naruto smiled as Konan's eyes narrowed. With his newly enhanced Kunshugan, it was like he could see the tiniest twitch in Konan's body movement and could use them to read her thoughts like a book. He was making observations faster than he could process them, making it feel like he instinctually knew everything about her until he stopped to think about how he knew each fact. On top of that, his throat wasn't hurting nearly as much as he sent a small amount of chakra to his throat to coat his vocal chords. He still couldn't speak too loudly, and his voice was stuck in a lower register, but at least he didn't sound like he was suffering from a really bad case of laryngitis. The only problem was that he could feel his chakra draining rather quickly.

"Fine," Konan conceded, trying not to let the boy's eerily accurate observations get to her. "You are correct, I'm part of an organization named Akatsuki."

Naruto chuckled. "That explains the cloak, I guess. Now, are you going to tell me what Akatsuki's goals are?"

Konan puffed her chest out a little. "A child like yourself couldn't possibly comprehend what we are trying to accomplish."

"How about I try and understand what you're trying to accomplish, and you tell me if I'm wrong?" Naruto offered. Konan said nothing, but Naruto took it as a cue to continue. "Now, you think that Akatsuki's goals are beyond the comprehension of the average person, especially someone as young as myself. That means they're some pretty lofty goals. You're not too much older than me, maybe twelve to fifteen years, which means you've seen things that make you think you have a better understanding of the world than I do. Judging by how you seem to recognise Tsuna-sensei, and the fact that you're from the Land of Rain, I'm going to say that you're a war orphan, and you met Tsuna-sensei when she was there fighting. So I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and say that Akatsuki is after world peace, or at least you think it is."

Konan couldn't keep the shock off her face. How could this _child_ know these things? It didn't make any sense! She took a moment to recompose herself before speaking. "I'm impressed, but you did get one thing wrong." Naruto raised an eyebrow, motioning for her to continue. "I don't think Akatsuki will achieve peace between the Elemental Nations, I know it will."

"And how does the Five-Tails Jinchuriki fit into your plans for world peace?" Tsunade asked.

"He is but a piece of our plan," Konan replied vaguely. These people had already learned far too much. She knew she was at their mercy, but hopefully if she kept stalling, Nagato would come after her.

"Really?" Naruto asked. "So you're after the Tailed-Beasts for something." He paused for a moment and looked down. When he looked back up, Konan was surprised to see the sympathy have returned in his swirling gold and blue eyes. "It won't work."

"I don't think you're in the position to make that assumption," Konan countered. "You have no idea how powerful Akatsuki really is."

"I don't doubt the power of your members, who are undoubtedly as strong, if not stronger, than you. What I mean is your plan won't work in general." Naruto could feel sweat starting to leak down his back as Kyubi started to channel a little of its own chakra as well to help maintain his Kunshugan.

This seemed to finally hit a nerve. "What do you know?" Konan spat. "You haven't experienced true pain. Only those who have, understand the true path to peace."

Naruto stood up and turned for the door. "We're done here."

Tsunade and Anko followed him out the door, still speechless from seeing how easily he controlled the conversation and acquired information. They were broken out of their shock when the door closed and Naruto nearly collapsed. Anko, being the closest, caught him as his Kunshugan deactivated.

"Didn't think talking could be so tiring…" he croaked as his eyes fell shut. Tsunade ran a quick diagnostic jutsu and sighed in relief.

"It's just chakra exhaustion," she said, assuaging their worries but not their curiosity. "Whatever it was he did in there with his Kunshugan, it must have used a phenomenal amount of chakra."

"What did he do?" Anko asked, picking him up. Tsunade merely shook her head.

"I have no idea."

Naruto awoke the next day and immediately asked to go see Konan again. Tsunade and Anko were hesitant, and only agreed if he promised to not use his Kunshugan like he had the day before. Naruto agreed, and they made their way back down to the basement, stopping at the kitchen to grab some food first.

Konan was awoken when the door to her temporary prison opened and her wardens returned. She was surprised when Naruto stepped forward and placed a plate of delicious looking food in front of her. He made a quick hand seal and she suddenly found herself able to control her arms.

"Eat," he ordered.

Konan looked at him suspiciously, so he rolled his eyes and leaned forward, getting far too close as he took an exaggerated bite from her eggs. He leaned back and looked between her and the food in front of her until she finally took her own forkful of eggs, following it up with a piece of orange.

"I thought about what you said yesterday," Naruto said quietly. Konan noted that he sounded strangely hoarse this morning compared to when they last spoke. "Maybe you're right." Everyone in the room had similar expressions of shock as they watched him sit quietly on the corner of the table looking down at his hands contemplatively. "Maybe in order to really understand peace, you have to know at least a little about suffering."

He reached up to his neck and started undoing his scarf. Tsunade put a hand on his shoulder as she looked down at him in concern. "Are you sure you want to do this, Naru-kun?"

Naruto smiled sadly and nodded his head. Konan watched as he removed his scarf, revealing the vicious scar across his throat. He then took a deep breath and removed both his hoodie and his undershirt at once.

Anko's hands flew to her mouth as tears stung her eyes when she saw the abundance of scars covering Naruto's body. Even Ibiki didn't look that bad. Her shock and sadness turned to anger as she got her first good look at the dark metal form of Naruto's right arm. Konan felt similarly to her. Clearly this boy knew suffering better than even her. Yet somehow, his eyes still had that bright fire burning behind them. Satisfied he had made his point, Naruto put his clothes back on.

"We're going to be taking you back to Konoha with us. You can either spend the rest of your life in a cell, or you can convince the Hokage that you can be of use to him."

He stood up and left, followed by Tsunade and Anko. Once outside, he heaved a sigh as Anko crushed him between her arms. They didn't say anything, but Naruto knew what she was trying to convey. He reached up and stroked her back softly while looking at his sensei.

"Let's go home."


	9. Chapter 9

Tsunade and Naruto were in a clearing about a half day's run from Konoha. They had left the mansion, their job done, and Anko had, more than a little reluctantly, parted ways with them to return with their prisoner while they found a secluded place to try out the summoning contract. With the way most of the people from Konoha regarded Naruto, they wanted to keep his abilities a secret from as many as they could, and considering they were about to try summoning something from a contract that was provided by a literal god, they both thought it best if certain members of the council didn't know about it lest they try to use Naruto to further their own agendas.

Tsunade had showed Naruto how to sign the contract and perform the necessary hand seals before summoning a small slug about the size of a dog. She looked up at Naruto, taking note of his Kunshugan being activated so he could watch how she molded the chakra. The Kunshugan hadn't reverted to its previous form, the one spike that lazily orbited his swirling iris seeming to be a permanent fixture. They theorized that it was not unlike the Sharingan (though that made Naruto adopt a sour expression) in that there were probably going to be more spikes that would manifest as Naruto's skill and abilities progressed. Luckily, whatever had happened during their interrogation was not a permanent fixture, but seemingly another ability of the Kunshugan. One that had untold potential in the intelligence field if it allowed him to convince an S-Class criminal to willingly give them information on her organization with just a few words.

She watched as Naruto bit his left hand, going through the seals as he focused on using about the same Tsunade had in her demonstration. He slammed his hand on the ground and in a burst of smoke, a creature appeared that really shouldn't have shocked her, but did nonetheless.

Standing before them was a reptile that was just a little taller than the slug she had summoned. It stood on its bowed hind legs while its arms hung down in front of it. It wore armor similar to what Tsunade had seen various samurai wear in the past, but only on its back and shoulders. The plates of the dark armor looked like large scales as they ran down to the tip of its tail. Each plate also had two small, purple spikes on them, reminiscent of the spines of an alligator. The reptile also wore a samurai-style helmet, with a golden ornament in the design of flames shooting back, covering the sides of the twin horns that sprouted from the back of its head. Underneath its armor, thick, golden scales covered the rest of its body while brilliant green eyes inspected its surroundings. It opened its mouth to speak, revealing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth.

"Alright, who's the nimrod who summoned me?" It turned its eyes on Tsunade and growled, banishing any thoughts she had been having about the juvenile way it spoke. "Was it you lady? You seem plenty strong, but you're too old to be the one Ameterasu-sama told us about."

Tsunade scowled at the reference to her age, her fear momentarily forgotten. "Hah, please! Like I would summon a little gecko like you!"

"Oi! Watch it, you old hag! My name is Ryuda and I'm gonna be the boss of the dragons one day!" The dragon boasted, reminding Tsunade of a certain someone. Speaking of which, Ryuda spun around when he felt something poke his shoulder. He turned and came face to face with a grinning Naruto who waved enthusiastically. "So you're the one who summoned me?" Naruto nodded and held out his hand. Ryuda narrowed his eyes before extending a clawed hand to return the gesture. There was a flash of light and Naruto was sent flying, landing on his behind a few feet back. Ryuda looked thoughtful for a moment before seeming to come to a decision. "Alright, Naruto, I took a little look-see through your head, had a chat with that dad of yours, and I've decided that you and I are gonna be bros."

 _Really?_ Naruto signed. _What's that mean?_

"It means I'm gonna be your familiar and hang out with you in this realm for a while. Pops keeps saying I need to get more experience, so what better way then traveling with our newest summoner?"

"So Naruto can summon other dragons as well?" Tsunade asked.

Ryuda nodded. "Oh yeah, though not many of them are as awesome or good-looking as me. Also a few of them have got some pretty nasty tempers so you might have to convince them that you're worthy of summoning them."

 _Does this mean that you're gonna be my friend?_ Naruto asked, the hope clear in his eye.

Ryuda smirked. "Even better, I'm gonna be like your brother. I'll be sticking by you no matter what from now on. I'll even help you with your training and fight beside you."

Naruto jumped up and down in excitement while Tsunade tried to figure out how the people of Konoha were going to react if they saw the infamous demon brat walking aroud with giant armored lizard everywhere. It was clear from the protective gleam in Ryuda's eyes that he would protect Naruto to the best of his abilities, but if he and the other dragons were anything like other summons she knew of, they're loyalty to Naruto would not extend to the village, which could be bad if they decided to react violently to his treatment in Konoha. Not wanting to spoil Naruto's mood as he rapidly signed with Ryuda, asking to know everything he could about his new friend's life, she put the matter to the side for now and told them that it was time to go.

Naruto was beyond happy as he, Ryuda, and Tsunade arrived in Konoha. His sensei bid the pair farewell to go deliver her report to the Hokage so he and Ryuda decided to head over to Training Ground 8 where they knew they could find the members of Team 8 and most likely Zabuza and Haku as well.

They were in luck as they arrived and stopped on a tree to watch as Naruto's friends trained. He was happy to see Hinata, Kiba, and Shino practicing with the gifts he gave them while Haku trained with her ice. Even Zabuza was training as he sparred against Kurenai, forgoing his Kubikiri Hocho in exchange for a standard katana to help Kurenai train with her ninja-to.

"So these are your friends?" Ryuda asked. Naruto nodded, grinning softly as he looked between Kurenai's sparring match and the one between Hinata and Haku. They both leapt to the middle of the training field, announcing their presence as everyone else froze.

Kurenai's heart flipped as she saw Naruto, she watched with a small bit of envy as Hinata and Haku rushed him, nearly knocking him over when they tackled him with a hug. Naruto grinned and pulled them close before looking up and sharing a smile with her as well, silently telling her that he was just as happy to see her as the two in his arms.

"Wow, bro, I can see why you like them so much." Everyone's attention was brought to the other visitor who had arrived with Naruto. They all gaped as Naruto introduced him. Ryuda smirked mischievously as he greeted them all, answering whatever questions he could. His cheerful demeanor vanished as someone appeared in a swirl of leaves and he spun around, slamming them into the ground with his tail before they had a chance to react.

Naruto put his hand on Ryuda's shoulder, indicating that the new arrival was not a threat. He recognised the ANBU as the one who had summoned him to meet with the council last time, and sighed. He nodded when the man stood shakily and informed of his summons before turning back to his friends with a frown.

"Go on," Kurenai said. "We'll see you later."

"And you'll be able to tell us all about how you put the council in their place," Haku added.

"Good luck, Naruto-kun," Hinata murmured, her face red.

Naruto looked down at Ryuda and saw the support in his friend's eyes. Together they rushed back to the village proper, leaping across rooftops towards the Hokage Tower. In less than five minutes they were in front of the doors to the council chambers. With another reassuring glance at Ryuda, he took a deep breath and pushed open the doors. The shouting within the room died down as soon as he stepped inside, only to resume once they saw he was not alone.

"This is no place for pets, _boy_ ," Homura hissed to the agreement of many on the council. The jeering stopped when Ryuda disappeared from his place next to Naruto only to reappear on the table over the elder, a claw to his throat as he snarled revealing his teeth to the frightened old man.

"I'd be careful who you call a pet, you decrepit old fart. Even regular summons don't approve of being addressed that way." He flickered back to his spot next to Naruto while Hiruzen cleared his throat to cover up the chuckle at seeing his old teammate put in his place.

"So what Tsunade told me about you finding yourself a familiar was true."

Naruto grinned. " _That's right, this is Ryuda._ " He signed, said familiar acting as his translator.

"Well at least this means he won't be wasting even _more_ of Tsunade-sama's time," a rather portly councilman muttered bitterly.

Hiruzen pointedly ignored him as he smiled at Ryuda. "It is an honour to meet you, Ryuda."

Ryuda grinned right back. "The pleasure's all mine Jiji."

"Uzumaki, you would do well to ensure your lizard shows the Hokage and the other members of this council the respect they deserve," Hiashi ordered.

"Oi! Who you calling a lizard, you pale-eyed twit!" Ryuda shouted angrily. "I'm the next king of the dragon summons and I'm showing pretty much everyone in this room more respect than they deserve just by talking to you."

Naruto sighed and he could see Tsunade drop her head and groan silently from her place by the Hokage's side.

"There's no such thing as dragons! Let alone a summoning contract for them!" Councilwoman Haruno shouted.

"Oh you wanna see how real I am?" Ryuda shot back.

"That's enough," the Hokage's voice was calm as it cut through the room, silencing any further arguments.

"Hokage-sama, if I may," Danzo said. "Regardless of what sort of creature the contract is with, Konoha law is clear that every new summoning contract not held specifically by a clan must be given to allow other shinobi to sign it."

"If you even think for a second that I'm gonna let anyone else sign our contract you've got another thing comi-" Ryuda was cut off as Naruto put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. He smiled at his companion and summoned up the Dragon Scroll before tossing it to Danzo.

" _There you are Danzo-san._ " Ryuda translated for Naruto. " _I think you'll find the same flaw in trying to acquire a contract with the dragons as when you tried to reproduce my Kunshugan."_

Danzo frowned and struggled to open it. Ryuda and Naruto chuckled as they watched him fumble about the sun-shaped seal with his one available hand.

"The man who gave the scroll to Naruto said that he had hired experts from all over who were unable to open that scroll," Tsunade explained with a smirk. "It seems to only respond to those with the Kunshugan."

" _Was there any other reason you summoned me, Hokage-sama?"_ Naruto asked, ignoring the scowls all around him.

Hiruzen nodded. "Jonin Mitarashi returned a few days before you with a prisoner in tow. She reported that the prisoner was part of a group called Akatsuki and they were after the Tailed-Beasts. Do you have anything else you can add to her report?"

Naruto thought about his answer for a moment before signing carefully. _"Nothing relevant, Hokage-sama. She mostly waxed philosophical rhetoric whenever I was present for the interrogations."_

"And would this so-called rhetoric have anything to do with why she has obstinately refused to speak with anyone except you and Anko-san."

 _"She and I debated over various ideologies the couple times we spoke,"_ Naruto replied.

"You expect us to believe that a genin who finished the academy with the lowest marks of his year, successfully debated with an S-Class criminal without revealing any information?" Hiashi demanded.

"It is a rather bitter pill to swallow," Inoichi said.

"It's more likely she turned her into her own inside man!" Councilman Sanjuro accused.

Tsunade released a trickle of killing intent to get the attention of the council. "I'd be careful with the insinuations you make about my student, Councilman. I was there for all those interrogations, Naruto never revealed any information about Konoha whatsoever."

"Tsunade-sama, as it was made clear the last time you were here, while you may be present in these meetings, you may not voice your opinion on any matter unless directly addressed," Danzo said, smirking internally.

"Then it's a good thing Naruto has a familiar who can translate for him now," Ryuda interjected. "One who isn't bound to your villages laws."

Naruto quickly signed and Ryuda translated his addition to the conversation. _"And that as the sole remaining member of the Senju clan, she gets as much a say as any other member of the shinobi council."_

"I've had enough of this farce of a witch-hunt," Hiruzen said. "Naruto, the reason I asked what you spoke about was because the prisoner-"

 _"Konan."_

"Yes, Konan, has agreed to tell us everything about her organization but only if she is allowed to speak to you."

Naruto considered the proposal carefully wondering how to best play the hand he had been dealt. _"I will speak with her, on the condition that only you, Tsuna-sensei, and Anko-chan be present for the interrogation, as well as anything said within the interrogation room be kept off the record."_

Hiruzen thought it over carefully, ignoring the outcries of his council when he nodded his head in agreement. He stood and walked around the table, quickly grabbing Naruto and Ryuda by the shoulders before shunshinning away with them. They arrived at the T & I building and quickly made their way inside without a word. Tsunade appeared behind them and they ignored the looks people gave them, more specifically Ryuda as they ventured deeper into the prison. They came to stop before the interrogation room holding Konan, and Ibiki let them in before Hiruzen dismissed him. Anko was already inside, and couldn't help smiling just a little as Narto entered the room.

Konan watched curiously as Naruto and Tsunade entered her interrogation room with the Hokage and some strange armored reptile.

 _"Hello, Konan,"_ Naruto greeted. _"This is Ryuda, he's going to be my interpreter today."_

Konan nodded to Ryuda before turning to Naruto. "So you've been told my offer?"

 _"Yup,"_ Naruto replied. He smiled and winked at her, causing a strange heat to flood Konan's chest, before turning to face the Hokage. _"I'm all done here, Jiji."_

"What are you talking about, Naruto?" Tsunade asked incredulously. "You told Sarutobi-sensei that you would speak to Konan if he agreed to your terms."

 _"And I did speak to her. If you want me to properly get answers from her, I have a few more conditions now that we're not being recorded."_

Hiruzen started laughing loudly. "You never cease to surprise me, Naruto! Alright, for actually managing to outplay this old man, I will listen to your conditions." Naruto grinned at his surrogate grandfather, thankful that he wasn't angry about the deceitful way he had gone about things. He quickly signed his conditions while Ryuda stayed quiet, not wanting Konan to overhear. Hiruzen and Tsunade both looked skeptical, but after exchanging a look, Tsunade shrugged while Hiruzen sighed. "Fine, but if this goes poorly, not even I will be able to help you."

Naruto nodded gratefully then turned back to sit across from Konan.

 _"So, Konan, what did you want to talk to me about?"_

"The last time we spoke, you said to prove my usefulness to your Hokage," Konan said. It was at first hard to focus on Naruto when the reptile next to him was the one actually speaking, but as soon as she looked into his eyes, she found herself yet again entranced by that burning blue fire. "I plan to do that."

 _"How so?"_ Naruto asked.

"I will give you information on Akatsuki, its members, and its goals. In return you let me go."

Naruto frowned. His thoughts were racing a mile a minute as he sorted through the abundance of information he had gathered on her when his Kunshugan had acted up the last time they spoke.

 _"No deal."_

Konan's eyes widened in outrage. "And why not?"

 _"A number of reasons,"_ Naruto replied. _"The first of which being I won't send a good person to their death for no reason."_

"What are you talking about?" Konan asked.

 _"Here's what I've gathered about Akatsuki,"_ Naruto said. _"It's a group made up of S-Class missing-nin. Their main goal is to capture the various jinchuriki to somehow use their Tailed-Beasts to further a false agenda of world peace. Judging by your attachment to the group you've been part of it for a long time, maybe since it started. But it's changed, hasn't it?"_

Konan glared at him, upset as he picked her life apart with a few sentences. Naruto held her stare but allowed sympathy to tinge his features. Eventually, after several minutes of tense silence, she sighed and relented.

"I helped found Akatsuki with my friends Yahiko and Nagato. At first, we were a force for peace, we fought to protect those who were oppressed under Hanzo's tyrannical rule. But Hanzo was ruthless. He eventually managed to trap us with an ambush and forced Yahiko and Nagato to choose which of them would kill the other, or he would kill us all. Yahiko took the choice out of Nagato's hands, impaling himself on Nagato's kunai and telling him that he was to take over leading the Akatsuki. After that, something changed in Nagato. He started to refer to himself as Pain and believes the path to peace is to gather the Tailed-Beasts and use their power to fuel a weapon so powerful none would dare oppose him. That way he would force the other Elemental Countries to stop fighting and work towards peace. I believe in Nagato, and I believe that he is the one the most likely to bring peace to the Elemental Countries."

Naruto remained silent as he listened to Konan's story. He couldn't help but compare himself to whoever this Nagato guy was. How easy it could have been to use his father's power and force the people of the village to respect him.

"I can see you really do want to see peace between the Elemental Countries," Naruto croaked. "So why would you have blamed the wandering clan's attack on Han-nii? How would that have furthered your goals?"

"I never told the wandering clan to do any such thing," Konan replied. "I only hired them to get me close to the Five-Tails Jinchuriki."

Naruto nodded, considering her words. That meant that there was someone else who was trying to benefit from further upsetting the relations between the Lands of Fire and Earth. Setting that aside for the moment, he turned his attention back to Konan.

"I may not be able to let you go, but how about we make a different deal?"

Konan raised an eyebrow curiously. "I'm listening."

"You tell Jiji everything you know about the Akatsuki, and he releases you into my custody. You will still have your chakra sealed and will be constantly monitored, but you won't be rotting in a cell."

"Why would you do that for me?" Konan asked. "You barely know me, and I'm a dangerous threat to your village."'

Naruto smiled sincerely. "I can see that you're not a bad person. You've just made a few mistakes. Also I could use your help on a little side mission of mine."

*(OoO)*

Konan had agreed to Naruto's deal, and by the end of the week she was moving into the boy's apartment. She had given the Hokage the names of all the other members of Akatuski, and some insight into their plans. She had no idea what was making her so cooperative, but every time she considered omitting or falsifying any of the information she had, a small voice in the back of her head reminded her why she was giving it in the first place.

She had never liked fighting. She trained with Yahiko and Nagato because they were precious to her and she wanted to protect them. Now, though, Yahiko was gone and Nagato was a borderline demigod. Her confinement had provided her with plenty of time to think and her conversations with Naruto had constantly centered around the idea that he would do everything in his power to keep her safe. She still couldn't understand why he was so protective of her, but now that she was living with him she was sure she would find out.

That is if one could call it living in the dismal condition of his apartment. There was paint peeling on every wall, the windows were cracked, and there was no hot water. His door barely hung on its hinges, and anything made of metal had rusty liver spots all over its surface. He escorted her to his bedroom where a torn up mattress lay on the floor with some ratty blankets.

"You'll be sleeping here," Naruto murmured. She had started getting used to the throaty sound of his voice, and couldn't help but feel… something when she heard it.

"Are you sure I can't go back to my cell?" Konan asked facetiously.

"Can I join you?" Ryuda asked, making her almost smile.

Naruto chuckled and pulled out a storage scroll. He unrolled it on the table, unsealing a small camping stove and some food. "It's not the best of accommodations, but that will be changing soon."

"Why is that?"

"In return for doing that little side mission of ours, Jiji is paying me with the deed to my own land to do with as I please."

Konan frowned, even more confused. It had turned out that the side mission she was helping Naruto with was nothing more than reading and sorting through room after room of files. It was mind-numbing work, but at least Naruto's prolific use of shadow clones made it go a lot faster. It did add another piece to the puzzle though as he told her they were looking for inconsistencies in any of the files, but to be paid with an entire property for a simple auditing job didn't make any sense.

She put those thoughts aside as Naruto handed her a plate of scrambled eggs with bacon. She took another look around the rundown apartment while Naruto quickly cleaned and resealed his equipment and ingredients before returning the scroll to one of the many pockets of his dark, baggy pants.

"Why do you keep all of your cooking wear with you?" She asked. Naruto remained silent as he shoveled another forkful of eggs into his mouth, leaving Ryuda to explain.

"You've seen his scars, do you really think the people who would do something like that would draw the line at breaking and entering?"

Konan looked down, slightly ashamed when a warm hand gripped her own. She looked up to see Naruto's smiling face, reassuring her that she had done nothing wrong by simply asking a question.

They finished breakfast in a comfortable silence. Once everything was cleaned up, she followed him and Ryuda out, watching as he activated a seal of some sort on the door before making their way to the training field.

Today was a group training day, so Naruto found himself facing off against Hinata, Shino, Kiba, and Haku at the same time. He had set aside his wind style training to focus on his next element. He grunted as he flowed around Hinata's strikes to flip a charging Kiba over his head and into her. Shino flashed through several hand seals, sending a line of stone spikes in his direction, while Haku hurled several frozen senbon at him. He cursed internally, he knew he would be able to easily avoid this if he slipped back into his wind style, but he was trying to stick to only using his new water style for this match. While wind had been all about evasiveness and keeping your opponent off balance, his water style centered around controlling the flow of the battle. In theory, it would allow him to turn his opponent's energy around on them, switching seamlessly between defence and offence.

He drew Eclipse, spun in place and sheared off the top of the nearest spike. He kept spinning, his momentum carrying the top of the spike with him before stopping abruptly. The spike was launched from the top of his sword and shattered several senbon before crashing into Haku's chest. Unfortunately, he was now wide open as the rest of her senbon flew for his face and torso. Acting on instinct, he swung Eclipse, and felt a pulse of chakra flow through the blade. The air was filled with a slicing sound followed by a soft tinkling as a surge of tiny crescent-shaped pulses of dark chakra shot from the sword, stopping the senbon in their tracks before slicing them to pieces and dropping them to the ground.

Tsunade, Kurenai, Anko, Zabuza, and Konan watched wide-eyed as Naruto pulled the sword back and the crescents reacted, shifting fluidly to flow around him.

"Well, I guess we know what happens when he uses water chakra with Eclipse," Ryuda stated casually.

Naruto stopped the flow of chakra to his blade and the tiny blades surrounding him dissipated. He looked to Tsunade for instructions on how to continue.

"Take a break, you five. Naruto, same rules apply to this new ability as Eclipse's others."

Naruto nodded and helped his friends to their feet. Haku and Hinata sat close to him as he unsealed some ration bars, handing them each one before giving one to Anko, Kurenai, and Konan as well. Kurenai and Anko smiled while Konan looked down at the bar curiously.

"While we're all sitting around," Tsunade announced. "I believe Kurenai and I have something to announce."

Kurenai nodded and set aside the happy feeling she had gotten when Naruto's hand brushed her own to address her team seriously. "After careful consideration, I have nominated you three for the Chunin Exams."

The members of Team 8 nodded resolutely, and Kurenai couldn't help but smile at their change in demeanor and the probable cause for.

"We won't let you down, Kurenai-sensei," Hinata stated.

"We will do our best," Shino added.

"Yeah, we'll totally kick ass and make chunin!" Kiba exclaimed.

Tsunade chuckled and turned to her own student. "I've also recommended you for the exams. If she agrees to it, Haku can also take them as your partner."

Naruto nodded gleefully and turned to face Haku hopefully. Haku grabbed his hand and nodded her agreement to join him and squeaked as he jumped to his feet, spinning her around in a tight hug, making her blush and several of the other females wish they were in her place.

"The exams will be in a month," Tsunade continued. "So, unfortunately this will be our last group training session."

 _Don't worry, Tsuna-sensei!_ Naruto signed. _Ryuda, Sekki-chan, and I are going to train as hard as we can and knock these exams out of the park!_

Tsunade smiled at her student. She was confident he would do well, and hoped he made chunin soon.

 _Congrats, kit,_ Kyubi said. _I can't wait to see you finally take off the kiddy gloves and show that Uchiha who's boss._

Naruto smiled at his father's gruff congratulations. _Thanks Dad, don't worry I'll be sure to make you and Tsuna-sensei proud!_

 _You already have, Kit,_ Kyubi reassured him.

Returning to the present, Naruto scarfed down his meal and immediately got back to training with his friends. The next month was especially rough as Tsunade pushed him harder than ever. With Anko and Haku's help, he progressed rapidly in his water style and his training with water chakra respectively. Zabuza left him littered with cuts from their daily spars as he worked to combine both his wind style and his water style. Konan even occasionally provided tips to help him out as she slowly came out of her shell. He could often feel her watching him, and would speak with her almost every night over dinner after training.

He had surprised Konan once again when, after she had been hit by a brick by a villager while trying to find a place to sell her groceries –apparently word had spread that she was living with the demon brat –he had modified the seal sealing her chakra. She was now able to use about twenty percent of her chakra, but Naruto had told her that he had added several caveats to the seal to ensure she didn't turn on him or the village. Konan had shoved aside the strange twinge of hurt she felt at the idea of him not trusting her, understanding the logic of needing to take precautions when giving an S-Class prisoner access to any amount of their chakra.

In exchange for having enough chakra to defend herself against enemies of high-chunin levels, Naruto had told her that he had placed a surveillance seal that would notify the Hokage of where she was and what she was doing whenever she used her chakra. Additionally, he had linked her seal to the one creating the barrier around the village, that way she would be unable to direct her chakra at any shinobi whose chakra signature was registered with the barrier and anything containing even the slightest traces of her chakra would be destroyed as soon as it tried to cross the barrier.

Basically, she had been given the means to inform the civilian population that she was not one to be assaulted, lest they find themselves facing a barrage a razor sharp paper-shuriken.

It was now three days before the Chunin Exams were meant to start and Naruto was in training ground 43. Tsunade had a shift at the hospital and Haku was with her, having expressed an interest in learning the healing arts. Anko had been busy for the past few days, Konan was with his shadow clones, and Zabuza was on a mission outside the village so he was practicing on his own. He had just finished a sparring match with Ryuda and his clones, while others practiced various techniques, when he pulled off his hoodie and undershirt to cool himself off.

His head whipped around when he heard a pained gasp, and he saw Kurenai standing behind him, hands covering her mouth while tear-filled eyes wandered over the multitude of scars covering his torso. Finally her gaze fell upon his right arm and the dam broke. Tears leaked down her cheeks and a choked sob ripped itself from her throat as she examined the plates covering part of Naruto's torso and the dark metal cables coiled into the shape of muscles attached to the port.

"I'm gonna let you handle this one, bro," Ryuda mumbled awkwardly before disappearing in a burst of smoke.

"Tenshi-chan," Naruto whispered, the seals on their necks letting her hear him perfectly as she walked numbly up to him.

"What did they do to you?" Kurenai asked brokenly as she reached out to touch his arm. She froze as he momentarily flinched away, but continued when he finally relaxed. Her hand brushed against the cool metal of his prosthetic arm, and she couldn't help but wrap her arms around him as her grief became unbearable. Naruto wrapped his arms around her back, leading her to sit with him against a tree as she cried into his shoulder.

"I think the answer to that is already clear," he whispered into her hair as he held her close.

"I w-want to know who did this," Kurenai whispered angrily.

Naruto shook his head. "No, you don't. It will only bring you heartache and drive you towards revenge. Instead, let me tell you the story about how I met an angel."

He went on to whisper his every interaction with her in her ear, emphasizing how happy he was every time he saw her. Kurenai blushed when he whispered how her smile was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen, and how on days when he wanted to just give up, the thought of it gave him the determination to keep going just so he could see it one more time.

Kurenai felt herself calming down as he stroked her back and whispered soft comforts in her ear. She took the opportunity to watch his right arm in motion, up close. The muscles bunched and stretched exactly like those of a human, but the fact that each group of cables were visible, and not covered in skin like they should be, made them somewhat hypnotizing in a morbid sort of way.

"You know I'll do everything to keep them safe, right?" Naruto asked softly breaking her out of her reverie.

"What?" Kurenai asked, somewhat sleepy from his soft ministrations. She idly noted that she must have lost track of time as the shadows around them had gotten quite a bit longer.

"Your team," Naruto explained. "That's why you came here, isn't it? To ask me to keep an eye out for them during the exams?"

Kurenai nodded. "I can't help but worry about them, and I know it's not fair to ask you to look out for your competition but-" she was silenced as a cool metal finger pressed against her lips.

"You never needed to ask," Naruto murmured. "Ao-hime, Kiba, and Shino are my precious people. Of course I would try to keep them safe."

"Naruto," Kurenai whispered. Their faces were drifting ever closer as they stared into each other's eyes. All sorts of reasons why she shouldn't be doing this filtered through her mind, but the moment their lips touched, they were gone. All that was left was him and her and them together for this one moment of blissful happiness.

 **A/N: There we are! Another chapter down, and we're just starting the Chunin Exams. Hopefully I did that first kiss some justice, brief though it may be. Also I know I'm gonna get some flak for having the summons be something as cliche as dragons, but I think they're cool and I got some ideas for the dragons that I think might be pretty cool so...**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading yet again. See ya next time!**


	10. Chapter 10

The day of the Chunin Exams began with little fanfare. Naruto woke up early and got ready, leaving a shadow clone to escort Konan to the file rooms. He sealed his door behind him and took off for Tsunade and Shizune's apartment at a light jog. Most of the stores hadn't opened yet, so his trip was relatively glare-free. He knocked on Tsunade's door and let himself in with his key.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun." Shizune greeted cheerfully from her place over the stove.

"Morning, Shizune-neechan, is Tsuna-sensei up yet?"

Shizune nodded. "She's in the shower right now. You know, even after all these years, I can't get over the dramatic improvement Tsunade-sama has seen since meeting you."

The door to the bathroom opened and Tsunade walked out, freshly showered and fully dressed. "Was someone talking about me?"

"Shizune-neechan was just talking about how I saved you from a fate of being a drunk loser for the rest of your life." Naruto grinned cheekily as Tsunade sat down with a mock glare.

"I'd be careful who you call a loser, _Naru-kun_ , when was the last time you beat me in a spar?"

"When was the last time you beat me at a game of cards?" Naruto shot back.

Tsunade huffed muttering about ungrateful students and rigged games as Shizune served them all a breakfast of eggs and bacon before sitting down herself.

"So, Naruto-kun, where's Ryuda? I would have thought that today of all days, you two would be attached at the hip."

"He had to go back and get his armor readjusted. It grows with him, but every so often it needs to be shifted so it doesn't dig into him," Naruto replied. A moment later a burst of smoke filled the small dining room and Ryuda appeared.

"My ears were burning, could it be that a beautiful lady was talking about me?"

"You don't have ears," Naruto mumbled around a mouthful of bacon prompting an argument between the two.

Tsunade and Shizune just laughed and watched as the two went back and forth. Ryuda had grown in the last month as well, quickly growing to be just shy of five feet at his shoulders, and measuring more than twice that in length. Luckily, he tended to use a form of transformation technique outside of combat to remain the same size as when they first met him. Breakfast was a joyous affair and when they finished, Naruto stood up to head over to the academy and meet Haku. He was stopped, however, when Tsunade called his name. Her expression was serious with a hint of, what he thought might be nervousness.

"When I see you next, there's something I want to talk about, okay?"

Naruto nodded and gave her a quick hug. He and Ryuda left the apartment and took to the rooftops. The reality of what he was about to undergo struck him as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop and he could feel the creeping chill of nerves climbing his spine.

He sighed with a smile when the feeling was banished by a wave of comfort coming from his seal.

 _Don't worry, kit. You're gonna blow them out of the water._

 _Thanks, Dad._

His worries abated, he and Ryuda came to a stop in front of the doors. Haku was already there, waiting for them and they greeted her cheerfully.

 _You ready?_ Naruto signed. He had chosen to stick to signing for the duration of the exams as it would give him an opportunity to communicate with his friends without fear of being overheard.

Haku nodded and they made their way inside. They climbed the stairs, pausing briefly on the second floor, but Naruto said it was just an illusion to make people think they were on the third floor. They arrived in the exam hall and weren't surprised to find they hadn't been the first to arrive.

Genin from all over the Elemental Countries sat around the room, glaring at the new arrivals. Naruto narrowed his eyes when a familiar feeling pulled his attention to a red-haired boy sitting down several rows from him. The boy stared at him as if he was a puzzle to decipher, before gritting his teeth and clenching his head in pain.

 _Kit, that kid is a Jinchuriki, like you. I'm guessing it's the One-Tail by the way it seems to be shouting in his head._

Naruto acknowledged his father's advice and turned his attention to the rest of the room. He smiled when he saw a familiar head of dark hair and hurried down the steps to greet her.

Kurotsuchi turned around when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She smiled when she saw it was Naruto waving at her. "Naruto! It's good to see you!" She looked between the slightly older girl standing behind him, and the strange armored lizard next to him. "Who are these?"

"My name is Haku," the girl replied with a slight bow. "I'm Naruto's partner for the duration of the exams."

"It's nice to meet you, Haku," Kurotsuchi said. She pointed behind her at her two scowling teammates and smirked. "Those two are Osada and Komuro, don't worry they won't bite." She was surprised when the lizard by Naruto's side grabbed her hand and pressed its closed mouth against her hand.

"I am Ryuda, Naruto's familiar and interpreter. It's an honour to meet someone as beautiful as yourself." Kurotsuchi laughed as Naruto dropped his fist on the top of Ryuda's face with a scowl and started berating him in rapid sign language. Their argument was interrupted as more and more genin teams arrived. He smiled as Team 8 arrived and went to introduce Kurotsuchi to them, while another Konoha genin told the rest of the rookies to quiet down as most of the other participants were glaring at them.

"So, Kabuto-san, how many times have you taken the exam?" Ino asked.

"This will be my seventh," Kabuto informed them, much to the shock of several of the rookies.

"Wow, you must really suck!" Kiba exclaimed.

"Or maybe the exams are just that hard," Shino countered.

"They are," Kabuto informed them. "But after all this time, I was able to gather information on all the other participants on these little cards." He held up a blank deck of cards and explained how he just needed to use a little bit of chakra to get information on all the other genin present. Naruto's eyes prickled a bit as he narrowed them in suspicion.

 _Something about him doesn't feel right,_ he thought.

 _You're right, Kit,_ Kyubi informed him. _It might be best to keep an eye on him, and try not to let him reveal anything on yourself or your friends._

 _It would depend on what he has on me,_ Naruto replied.

 _What do you mean?_

 _I mean most of the information about my skills are off the record because Tsuna-sensei and I train in private and not even Jiji has seen what I can do during our Saturday spars, so depending on what he has, we can figure out where he got his information._

 _Alright,_ Kyubi agreed. _But keep an eye on him, he smells like snakes._

Naruto nodded subtly, and was working on a plan to stealthily get his hands on his own card only to be dismayed as Sasuke stepped forward.

"I want to know what you have on Gaara of the Desert, Rock Lee, and Naruto Uzumaki."

"You already know their names, that's no fun." Kabuto pouted childishly and pulled out three cards. He listened with interest to the information concerning his fellow jinchuriki, surprised and impressed that even on a B-Rank mission, Gaara had never been injured. He was already aware of Lee's abilities and his focus on taijutsu, so he listened intently as Kabuto read his card, preparing to step in if the information became too sensitive. "And finally, Naruto Uzumaki. It says here that he's the apprentice of Tsunade of the Sannin, and is taking the exam with Haku Yuhi as his partner. His skills are average to high in everything but genjutsu, and he most recently found a summoning contract and acquired a familiar. He's completed over a hundred D-Ranks, three C-Ranks, one B-Rank, and two A-Ranks. That's quite the record for a rookie. He's also the wielder of a new dojutsu called the Kunshugan-" Kabuto yelped as a kunai shot through his card and everyone turned their eyes on him.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, which continued to prickle as his suspicion grew. _"I'd be more careful who you're revealing information about in front of Kabuto-san,"_ Ryuda translated for him before they both turned away. He watched closely as the sound genin attacked Kabuto, quickly activating his Kunshugan when Kabuto doubled over and vomited, despite avoiding the hit.

 _So he shoots chakra out of holes in his arms and creates a pressurized wave of subsonic sound,_ Naruto surmised to himself. _Cool._

He half listened when the proctor for their first exam appeared in a burst of smoke and explained the first test they would be taking. It was obvious to Naruto the second he flipped the page and saw the questions that there was something more to this test than just answering questions. A quick look around told him that all the other participants were trying to cheat as subtly as they could. Hinata, Neji, and Sasuke were all using their respective dojutsu, Haku had set up an elaborate series of ice mirrors, Shino was using his insects both for himself and Kiba. Smirking, he decided to wait and do nothing.

He leaned his head down on his desk and quickly channeled some chakra into the seal on his throat. "Tsuna-sensei, Hebi-hana, Tenshi-chan, you might want to alert Jiji that he should keep an eye on Kabuto Yakushi. It's just a hunch but I don't think his loyalties lie with Konoha." Naruto raised his head and looked around the room. Judging by the looks on Haku, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino's faces, who all also wore his communication seal, his message had gone through. Satisfied, he put his head back down on his desk and used the rest of his time trying to think up a way to modify the communication seals to speak to different people individually.

When Ibiki called out that they had thirty seconds left, he turned in his seat and tapped the boy sitting next to him on the shoulder. When the boy turned to look at him, he was met with a fist slugging him in the face, sending him crashing down to the front of the room. While everyone's attention was on the other boy's descent, he quickly switched their papers.

Ibiki called for pencils down, and announced the ultimatum concerning their final question. Naruto was unconcerned, as he wasn't about to let something as inconsequential as rank ever stop him from achieving his dreams. He watched as more and more of his competition forfeited, and grinned at the remaining participants' outrage when they learned the true nature of the tenth question.

His grin widened when a giant scroll crashed through the window, reading _Second Exam Proctor: The Sexy and Powerful Mitarashi Anko_ and in a burst of smoke his snake flower appeared grinning sadistically at the remaining genin. Her eyes lingered for a second on Kabuto, confirming that Naruto's concerns had been relayed, and he listened as she chastised Ibiki for leaving so many chunin hopefuls.

He rose with the rest of the genin and joined Haku and Kurotsuchi (much to the displeasure of Osada and Komuro) to walk over to Training Ground 44. When they arrived, Anko was standing there waiting for them.

"Alright, maggots! Welcome to Training Ground 44, lovingly referred to as The Forest of Death. It's filled with all sorts of lovely plants and animals just waiting to kill you, and it will be where you're going to be spending the next five days!"

"What are we supposed to do for food?" Chouji asked.

"Well, I suppose there are some non-poisonous plants in there," Anko replied. "Or you could hunt and kill something, assuming it doesn't do the same to you first."

A wave of fear swept over many of the genin at the casual way Anko described the horrors that waited beyond the giant fence surrounding the forest. Their fear grew when Anko described the test, and told them they had to sign papers waving Konoha of any blame should they die. Suddenly the situation was much more real for many of them, especially when the idea of facing enemy teams in order to progress was added.

Naruto, though, welcomed the challenge, and he and Haku were among the first to sign the wavers and receive their scroll. They saw it was a Heaven Scroll, and Naruto sealed it into one of the storage seals on his wrist. They walked around the fence, passing a grass kunoichi who Kyubi stated smelled even more of snakes than Kabuto did, as well as radiating an aura of evil. As they approached their gate, Naruto saw Anko standing up on the wall above him, smiling though there was concern in her eyes. Naruto smirked mischievously and put a hand in his pocket, reassuring her that he would be fine.

"Alright, everybody in place? Good! Have fun, kiddies!" The gate opened and Naruto, Ryuda, and Haku rushed into the forest. They ran for about an hour and a half before pausing to discuss their next move.

"No need," Naruto said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an Earth Scroll.

"Where'd you get that?" Ryuda exclaimed.

"Substituted the scroll in my pocket for the one in Hebi-hana's," Naruto explained. "Now I'd like to go find Team 8 and see if they need any help."

Haku and Ryuda nodded and Naruto activated his Kunshugan before they took off again. Ryuda led the group as his nose was sensitive enough to track Hinata's scent through the forest. They traveled for another two hours before arriving in a clearing and seeing the members of Team 8 struggling to hold their own against two teams from Kumo.

Haku was about to jump down when Naruto held up his hand to signal her to wait as he activated the seal on his throat once more.

"Ao-Hime, Sekki-chan, Ryuda, and I are here to help." He noticed the members of Team 8 stiffen slightly but gave no other indication that he was speaking to them. "Ryuda is going to distract them, when he does, you three take out as many as you can, then Sekki-chan and I will help sweep up the rest."

Naruto nodded to Ryuda, who grinned before leaping down and transforming back to his full size. Suffice to say, the genin from Kumo were more than a little surprised when a horse-sized dragon crashed into the ground behind them and roared thunderously. Team 8 took advantage of their distraction as Hinata quickly buried an arrow in the necks of the three in front of them, while Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino dispatched with the team behind them. As luck would have it, both enemy teams had different scrolls, so Team 8 now also had a full set as well as an extra Earth Scroll.

"Thanks for the backup there guys," Kiba said as they jumped down to greet them.

"Don't mention it," Naruto replied, high-fiving his friend before pulling Hinata into a hug, making her blush.

"Excuse you, but if memory serves I'm the only one on our team who did any work by scaring those little snots out of their wits," Ryuda huffed indignantly.

"Don't worry, Ryuda-kun," Haku said with a smile, "I still appreciate you."

Ryuda smiled and nuzzled Haku with his snout while Naruto smirked. "Besides the whole plan would have gone up in smoke if they saw those little nubs sticking out of your back."

"They're not nubs, they're my wings!" Ryuda growled indignantly.

"Oh, really? Let's see you fly then," Naruto shot back.

The rest of the group smiled as they watched Naruto and Ryuda bicker back and forth but the happy atmosphere died when a great rumbling shook the forest and a massive snake the size of a building crashed through the trees passing right by them before they heard the screech of a familiar pink-haired howler monkey.

"That wasn't an ordinary snake," Ryuda observed seriously.

"Well of course not," Kiba said. "That thing was the size of the Hokage Tower!"

Ryuda shook his head. "I mean it's not from this realm. That snake smells like one of the ones from Ryuchi Cave, the summoning realm of the snakes."

Naruto activated his seal, and for the first time since his life had turned around half a decade ago, actually shouted, his throat burning as he tried to impart the seriousness of the situation. "Tsuna-sensei, Hebi-hana, Tenshi-chan, alert Hokage-sama that the second phase of the Chunin Exams have been infiltrated by a shinobi with the ability to summon snakes and is currently engaging Team 7! Hasu-chan it's up to you if you want to help or not, but if you do, go to Hokage-sama and ask that he adjust your seal to allow access to all of your chakra. My team and Team 8 are going to head to the tower as we have finished the exam and will await further instructions." Naruto quickly turned to his friends, a fire burning behind the swirling gold and blue of his Kunshugan as two prongs spun on opposite sides of his iris spun rapidly. "Let's go."

They all nodded and followed Naruto as he drew Eclipse and began channeling the Kyubi's chakra. He took point, pouring a massive amount of water chakra through Eclipse to guard their sides with a wall of dark crescent-shaped blades of chakra, while Ryuda held up the rear. Hinata was right behind him, constantly scanning the area with her Byakugan, while Kiba and Shino flanked her, and Haku ran behind her. They encountered little resistance as Hinata directed them around most enemies and traps. They only stopped briefly to help a red-haired girl with glasses who was all alone and being attacked by a gargantuan bear.

"Thank you," the girl said. "I'd give you my scroll but another team took it when they killed my teammates."

Naruto waved her off. _"We're on our way to the tower, we can bring you there if you'd like."_ Karin stared in wide-eyed awe at the quiet boy and the large, armored reptile speaking for him. She nodded, speechless at the idea that someone would so selflessly offer to help _her._ Naruto smiled, and ran through a few more signs which Ryuda translated. _"I hope you can keep up!"_

Without further ado, they fell back into their previous formation, with Karin taking the place in between Hinata. They arrived at the tower in record time, only running into one other team, which Naruto plowed through with barely a thought. They were met by Tsunade, Anko, Kurenai, Konan, and the Hokage, making Karin quake at the gathering of imposing figures.

"Naru-kun!" Tsunade shouted. "Are you okay? What happened? Did he hurt you?"

Naruto smiled, hugging Tsunade tightly and allowing her to check him over. It felt good to have someone worry over him like this. Hiruzen looked over the other genin and frowned as he noticed the red-haired girl.

"Naruto, your report only mentioned you arriving with your team and Team 8. Might I ask who this new addition is?"

 _We found her being attacked by a bear,_ Naruto signed. _Her team was dead and their scroll taken. I guess I already felt bad enough that I was leaving everyone else to deal with the snake, I couldn't leave her behind too._

Tsunade smiled at her student's selfless nature and turned to the red-haired girl hiding behind him. "What's your name?"

"K-Karin, ma'am," the girl stuttered. "Karin Uzumaki."

There was a moment of silence as everyone present froze, processing the implications of what Karin had just said. The tension was broken when Naruto spun around and lifted Karin into a massive hug, his beaming grin threatening to split his face in two. Karin squeaked and blushed as her rescuer spun her around before placing her back on the ground, her eyes widened as he introduced himself in a hoarse voice.

"Hi, Karin. My name is Naruto Uzumaki."

Tears threatened to spill from Karin's eyes as she leapt back into another hug, but the moment was ruined when the Hokage cleared his throat, reminding them all of the serious situation they were in. "As touching as this is and as happy as I am for you, Naruto-kun, we have more pressing matters at hand. Your team and Team 8 will enter the tower and await the third part of the exam. Karin can stay with you." The genin nodded at their leader's orders and turned to enter the tower. Hiruzen turned to the women gathered behind him and continued to distribute orders. "The political ramifications of canceling the Chunin Exams are too great, as such, Tsunade, you and Konan will lead a team of ANBU to search the forest for any sign of Orochimaru. Anko and Kurenai, you are to maintain the façade that all is well. I don't want anybody being tipped off that we have been infiltrated. Take your time and figure out if anyone else is associated with him, do not act without my express permission, am I understood."

The four woman all nodded, replying at once, "Yes, Hokage-sama!" before taking off in different directions.

Naruto sighed as he threw himself on the couch in his waiting room while Ryuda curled up on the ground by his feet. He was still unsure if he made the right decision. He knew, logically that he had to keep both his team and the members of Team 8 safe, but in doing that he had risked everyone else's life by leaving them to the mercy of that snake. He was broken out of his thoughts when Haku, Karin and Team 8 joined him in the common room. Haku and Hinata took their customary places by his sides, while Kiba and Shino both took the other chairs. Karin sat down next to Ryuda and was idly running her hand over the smooth scales of his side.

"So what's so bad about someone in the exams having a snake summoning contract?" Kiba asked. "I mean you have one with freaking _dragons_ , so is it that surprising that someone else is like you?"

"Careful, dog-breath," Ryuda growled, "it almost sounded like you were comparing the great Dragon Clan to those slithering worms."

"I'm not," Kiba replied nervously, shaking his head. "I'm just asking what's the big deal with someone else having a summon contract."

"There are only two people known to have a contract with the snakes," Naruto explained. "The first is Hebi-hana, and the second is the one who taught her."

"Orochimaru," Hinata whispered, eyes wide in fear.

Naruto nodded. "Exactly. The big deal is that one of the most infamous traitors to Konoha has infiltrated the exams, and there are only two people in the entire village that could stand up to him. That's why we're gonna haave to be on our guard at all times."

The others nodded seriously and moved on to lighter topics as they asked Karin about her life. Naruto especially was curious to learn about his clan mate.

Karin blushed and looked down, focusing intently on the hand stroking Ryuda's side. "Oh, well there's not really too much to learn. Up until now I thought I was the last Uzumaki, and my life in Kusa wasn't exactly the best, but that's pretty much par for the course there."

Naruto reached down and squeezed her shoulder, smiling softly. "You don't have to talk about it right now, Karin. We have the rest of our lives to get to know each other."

"Naruto-nii," Karin whimpered throwing herself at him and sobbing. "I'm so happy I found you! I finally have family! Please, Naruto-nii, don't make me go back to Kusa! I wanna stay with you!"

Naruto shushed her, smiling as she voiced his own thoughts, and stroked her back. "It's okay, I'll never abandon you. We can go speak to the Hokage in the morning and see about you joining the leaf."

Karin cried happily at his promise and remained in his arms until she calmed down. She pulled back with a blush and her heart swelled as she saw nothing but supportive faces smiling down at her.

The next five days were generally uneventful. Naruto and Karin went to see the Hokage who said that he would see what he could do about allowing her to join Konoha's shinobi force, and after that the two clan mates were nearly always together. They both shared everything they could about their pasts, though Naruto played down the extent of his suffering at the hands of the villagers. Any time she wasn't with Naruto, Karin could usually be found hanging around with Kiba. The two had hit it off immediately and become fast friends. Akamaru even sometimes rode in her arms as he enjoyed the way she pet him and doted on him. Naruto meanwhile had immediately gone back into training mode, though it was generally kept low key so as to not give anything about himself away. He was happy that his Kunshugan had matured at some point during the second exam and couldn't wait to test it out.

Finally the last day of the exam was coming to a close and he and Haku found themselves waiting in a large room beneath the tower with several other teams. Among them were Teams 7, 8, 9, and 10 as well as Kabuto (his teammates had apparently died in the forest), Kurotsuchi's team, the team from the sound village, and Gaara's team.

"Welcome, all of you," The Hokage announced, "and congratulations on passing the second phase of the Chunin Exams." He went on to explain the history and purpose of the Chunin exams before pausing with a frown. "Unfortunately-"

"Ahem… Hokage-sama, maybe I should take over the explanation?" Their attention was drawn to the coughing jonin who stood chewing on a senbon. Hiruzen nodded and the jonin continued. "My name is Hayate. Since so many of you passed, we'll be holding a preliminary to determine who gets to go on to the third phase of the exams."

The room erupted into cries of protest, particularly from those who arrived later, but Hayate just ignored them. "Lots of important figures come from all around the Elemental Countries to watch the final tournament –ahem –it's a big part of how the villages get new clients. Ahem… That's why there can't be too many of you participating as it would take too long. Now if you'll look to the board, you'll see who the first randomly selected match will be. If your name doesn't show up, go up the stairs and wait in the balcony for your turn."

The large screen above the stone hands lit up, and their names flashed by as they were randomly selected. The scrolling slowed down and everyone watched with anticipation as the first match was decided.

*(OoO)*

 _MATCH #1: KUROTSUCHI VS. SHINO_

Naruto grinned to both combatants wishing them luck before running up the stairs. His smile grew when he saw all the jonin-sensei standing on the balcony watching the proceedings and spied a familiar set of bulky red armor. He sprinted over to Han and waved, happy to see his fellow Jinchuriki.

Han looked down and allowed a bit of warmth to bleed into his eyes as he greeted his self-appointed little brother. "It's good to see you, Naruto."

Naruto's grin never faded as he began signing furiously and the large creature started speaking for him. _"How have you been Han-nii?"_

"I have been well," Han replied, looking between Naruto and his new interpreter his curiosity got the better of him. "It seems you have at least one story to share after the preliminaries are through."

Naruto nodded and promised he would find Han again after the preliminaries before sprinting back to join his friends and watch the match.

Kurotsuchi huffed as she dodged yet another exploding kunai, only to wind up in the middle of a whirlpool of insects. She growled and took a deep breath, flashing through some quick hand seals.

"Katon: Fireball Jutsu!" She exhaled hard, releasing a ball of flames roughly as tall as her. The fire incinerated several bugs forcing the rest to back off while Shino slammed his hand on the ground.

"Doton: Earth Spike Jutsu!" A row of spikes burst from the ground, making their way right for her. Kurotsuchi leapt into the air and preformed more hand seals as the spikes passed harmlessly below her.

"Suiton: Water Bullet Jutsu!" She cried as she created several small spheres of water with her chakra and fired them at Shino. Shino slammed his hands into the ground once more and created a large stone wall in front of him, blocking her attack. Kurotsuchi cursed. She had been unable to even get close to him without his insects attacking her, and she was already feeling weirdly tired from only performing a few techniques.

Determined to end this fight quickly, she flashed through even more hand seals and pumped as much chakra as she could into the technique. "Yoton: Scorching Steam Rock Technique!" She expelled as much lava as she could forming three large spheres around three feet in diameter each. The lava solidified slightly into flaming chunks of molten rock and she launched them at Shino. The first sphere crashed through Shino's mud wall, forcing him to dash to the side as the other two lava balls honed in on him. He narrowly dodged the first one and blocked the last with another mud wall, but froze when Kurotsuchi held the tip of her kunai to his neck.

Her victorious smirk faded when Shino crumbled into a giant pile of bugs and she felt a pair of hands spring up and grab her by the ankles. Bugs started climbing up her body and she could feel what little chakra she had left draining away as the insects eat it. She collapsed to her knees and looked up as Shino rose from beneath the ground underneath her he held a kunai to her throat and she scowled when she heard the proctor shout out.

"Winner: Shino Aburame!"

Kurotsuchi's foul mood was lifted when Shino pocketed his kunai and held out his hand to help her to her feet.

"It was a good fight," he said in a quiet monotone.

Kurotsuchi nodded. "It was. I wouldn't mind sparring with you sometime."

They made their way up the stairs and were both greeted by Naruto and Ryuda, who congratulated them on an awesome fight. Kurotsuchi smiled and laughed while Shino simply bumped fists with Naruto. They returned to their respective teams as the screen on the wall displayed the next fight.

 _MATCH #2: SASUKE VS DOZU_

Naruto barely paid attention to the fight, and instead focused more on the seal on Sasuke's neck. He saw how it reacted when he tried to use his chakra and narrowed his eyes. His anger quickly grew when he saw Sasuke imitate one of Lee's moves, modifying to slam his opponent down ruthlessly into the ground. The moment the match was done, Sasuke left with Kakashi and Naruto couldn't help but feel glad that they were gone. He narrowed his eyes and briefly activated his Kunshugan to watch Dozu's body language as his sensei spoke to him. Clearly whoever the sensei of the sound genin was, they did not think he was to be trifled with, or disappointed.

Naruto was far more interested in the next fight, though as the screen flashed the names of the combatants.

 _MATCH #3: HAKU VS ZAKU_

Naruto hugged Haku close and whispered his encouragement in her ear, prompting a blush to appear on her face. "Knock 'em dead, Sekki-chan."

Haku nodded resolutely and walked down the stairs. She came to a stop at the bottom and frowned as she faced her opponent. She could tell he hadn't healed completely from whatever injuries he had sustained in the forest, and was holding his arms out a bit awkwardly. She and Naruto had already seen his abilities first hand in the first part of the exam, so she knew that when he lashed out at her, it wasn't fists she should be aware of, but the small distortion in the air zooming towards her. Luckily for her she had been training with Naruto for several months now and was faster than ever.

She dodged around the sonic wave and hurried through several one-handed seals (in case any Sharingan wielders had returned and were hoping to learn something from watching her fight) and condensed the water in the air into several small needles. The liquid senbon hurtled toward her target only to be disrupted when they came in contact with another blast of pressurized air.

"You're not too bad," Zaku remarked as he rushed in close. "I think I'll enjoy this more than I thought."

"I wouldn't count on it," Haku replied.

Zaku scoffed. "Please, you can't even lay a finger on me."

"Neither can you."

Zaku scowled and reared his fist back. The blast of air he sent at her this time was too big to dodge, so Haku knelt down and created a quick dome of ice around herself. She huffed and swiped a drop of sweat from her brow as Zaku's attack dissipated harmlessly around her shield. She had to end this fast, her wind jutsu were outmatched by his attacks, and there wasn't nearly enough water to use her other techniques without tiring herself out further. Just creating this dome of ice out of her chakra had taken a noticeable toll on her reserves.

Meanwhile, Zaku grunted, the strain on his arms growing as he hammered away at Haku's ice dome. "Come on out, girlie! I promise to go easy on you!" He shot both of his arms forward, unleashing his most powerful attack yet. To his surprise, the dome exploded before his attack even made contact. Haku was a blur as she slipped by the wave of pressurized air, a trail of ice shards behind her. She literally ran circles around her opponent, dodging his attacks and retaliating with her own. Finally, his frustration mounting, Zaku tried for one last powerful attack only to scream in pain as shards of ice of different sizes plugged the holes in his arms forcing the pressure to back up and obliterate his shoulders. Zaku stood for a moment, arms hanging limply by his side before falling face first to the ground, unconscious.

Hayate declared Haku the winner and she smiled walking up the stairs calmly while the medics rushed in to help Zaku. Her chest fluttered when Naruto wrapped her up in a hug.

"I never doubted you," he whispered in her ear. Haku blushed and smiled as they separated and went back to join their friends. The screen flashed once more and they all waited with baited breath to learn who would be next.

 _MATCH #4: GAARA VS KOMURO_

Naruto frowned as his fellow Jinchuriki walked down the steps to the arena. He quietly sidled up beside Han as the match started and Komuro withdrew her twin scimitars.

"She won't win," Han stated as Komuro desperately tried to slice through Gaara's defences. Gaara didn't even move as the sand flowing around his body acted on its own, stopping every one of Komuro's attacks short.

"He's like us," Naruto croaked, looking around to make sure nobody was listening. He discretely activated the seal on his throat before continuing. "He has the One-Tail in him." Naruto looked around, taking note of how Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Haku, Kurenai, and Anko stiffened.

"There's something different about him, though," Han observed, clenching his fist as Gaara's sand threw Komuro around like a rag doll.

"He's not in full control," Naruto replied. "Unlike Tou-chan or Gobi-obaasan, his tenant is torturing his mind."

Han concurred as Gaara finally moved. He swiped his hand through the air, the sand holding Korumo following suite as it flung her from side to side, smashing her into whatever surface was nearest. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Naruto could hear a barely audible voice gasp out, "I yield!" But Gaara just continued playing with her, a psychotic grin slowly stretching across his face as he used yet another victim to prove his existence.

His fun was cut off though when Han intervened, destroying the sand holding his student with a blast of steam and plucking her out of the air. His mother screamed at him to finish the job, but the moment he and Han locked eyes, she quieted. The same feeling Gaara got when facing his father –the one man in Suna who could defeat and control Mother –pricked at his spine as he looked up into Han's eyes. Scoffing and turning away, Gaara's gaze locked on with Naruto's disapproving one, and Mother immediately started shrieking once more in his head. Only this time they were warnings to stay as far away from the blonde-haired boy as possible. Breaking eye contact, if only to silence Mother, Gaara made his way back up the stairs while Han handed Komuro over to the medics.

The screen flashed for a fifth time and Naruto nearly cheered as it came to a stop.

 _MATCH #5: NARUTO VS KANAGI_

Naruto's friends wished him luck, and his chest swelled with pride when Hinata and Haku hugged him while Kurenai smiled softly mouthing the words good luck to him. He winked at her and squeezed Hinata and Haku tightly before turning around and jumping down to the arena floor with Ryuda one step behind him. Anko winked at him, also mouthing her own encouragement, when Naruto looked up at the proctor to start the match. Once he did, Naruto turned around to face Ryuda and shook his head sadly.

 _Sorry bro, I know you want to show off, but I'd rather keep your skills a secret for now._

Ryuda growled and sat down with a huff. "Fine, but only because I know you can take this guy, no problem."

"What's the matter, Uzumaki?" Kanagi called from across the arena. "You not gonna let your pet gecko in on the action."

Ryuda's growling grew louder and Kurenai shook her head from up in the stands as Kakashi and Sasuke rejoined the spectators. "Oh is another one of my cute students about to fight?" Kakashi asked as he leaned against the wall next to Kurenai.

"Another one of your cute students is about to get his ass kicked," Kurenai replied, annoyed. She had felt the small pulse of chakra coming from Sasuke, indicating he had activated his Sharingan in hopes to steal some of Naruto's techniques. A not so small part of her couldn't wait for Naruto to finish his fight and get out of here. They had yet to talk about that kiss that happened before the exams, and Kurenai's doubts had been creeping up on her ever since.

Naruto smirked and settled into his fighting stance, curling his fingers in invitation for Kanagi to go first. Kanagi took the bait and rushed at Naruto with a flurry of punches and kicks that always failed to land as Naruto spun and jumped and danced his way around his opponent. His frustration mounting, Kanagi hurled a handful of shuriken at Naruto's head and jumped back as he preformed several hand seals.

"Katon: Fireball Jutsu!" He quickly spat out several large balls of flame that hurled toward Naruto.

Naruto smiled as he followed through on his previous motion, spinning low to dodge the shuriken before shooting back to his feet and thrusting his hand forward. Out of nowhere, a massive gust of wind blew from his palm, extinguishing Kanagi's fireballs and sending him flying back into the ceiling.

"That was the Great Breakthrough Technique," Kakashi muttered disbelievingly. "But how did he do it without any hand seals?"

"Naruto can use any of his jutsu without hand seals," Kurenai informed him causing Kakashi's one eye to widen while Sasuke gripped the railing in front of him harder.

"But how? Even the most accomplished shinobi only ever master a few jutsu to the point of not needing to mould their chakra without hand seals."

"Naruto didn't like the fact that there were those who would copy the techniques he worked so hard to master just by looking at them," Kurenai said glaring at Sasuke's back while Sasuke merely grit his teeth in anger. The dobe should be proud to share his techniques with him! "So, with the help of Tsunade-sama and his Kunshugan, he divised a way to mould chakra without hand seals, that can't be replicated."

Meanwhile, Kanagi flipped to his feet after prying himself from the ceiling and dropped down, already preparing another jutsu. "Katon: Pheonix Fire Technique!" This time he spat out dozens of smaller fireballs that flew towards Naruto from several different directions. Naruto shifted his stance, bracing his feet shoulder-width apart and raised his arms from his waist to above his head, as he did so, several of the floor tiles around him rose up on pillars of earth to form a wall around him. The fireballs collided harmlessly with his protection, and Naruto shifted his stance, thrusting an arm out, causing a chunk of one of the pillars to fly off and collide with Kanagi just as he landed.

"It can't be," Kakashi muttered, his own Sharingan visible as he observed the fight. "He's using his body movements to mould the chakra and mixing it with raw nature manipulation. He shouldn't even know what chakra natures are at his level."

Naruto broke off piece after piece of his wall, sending them flying Kanagi's way in barrage of stone as he punched and kicked through the air.

"It's a perfect mixture of taijutsu and ninjutsu," Gai observed. He was astounded that Naruto had been able to accomplish such a feat since the last time they saw each other. Kurenai watched proudly as Naruto leapt through the air, firing one last hunk of earth down at his opponent, knocking him out. Her chest swelled with pride as the proctor declared Naruto the winner.

Naruto smiled and waved to his friends as he turned to rejoin them on the balcony up above. He didn't take a step before a dark chuckling rang in his ears freezing him in place.

"It seems Tsu-hime has been hiding quite the promising student from me," the voice hissed. Naruto turned in the direction it was coming from, but stiffened as he felt an unbearable agony burning through his body from his neck. "I'll enjoy stealing you away from her."

Naruto gasped as the pain enveloped him. The last thing he heard was several people shouting his name before darkness engulfed him.

 **A/N: So I know a big chunk of this feels rushed, and I apologize for that. I didn't want to rewrite the entirety of the Chunin Exams, as so many stories get bogged down there because so much happens at once, so I pretty much raced through the parts that remained the same from the manga. Also the fights could probably be longer, but I'm new to writing these kinds of fight scenes, and based off my experiences fights generally don't actually last that long. I tend to prefer to devote more of my word count to furthering some aspect of the plot, as when I read I usually just end up skimming the majority of the 5k+ fight scenes so I can get the gist of it. I promise to hopefully do better on the next chapter. Until then, thanks for the follows and favourites, an extra thanks for all the reviews, and I hoped you liked it.**


	11. Chapter 11

Hinata gasped, frozen in place while Kurenai, Anko, and Han dove to the arena floor. The long-haired man whose head and freakishly long neck came out of the wall behind Naruto merely chuckled cruelly and melted back into it moments before they reached him. Naruto screamed and fell to floor, writhing in agony, while the Hokage shouted orders to several ANBU who had appeared. Hinata couldn't help but shake in place, resting her head in the crook of Haku's shoulder as she wrapped her arms around Hinata and they both watched as the medics took the still screaming Naruto away.

"Ahem… Despite that… interference," Hayate declared, "we're still going to continue on with the matches. So, if you could all turn your attention to the screen."

They watched as the names flashed on the screen before finally coming to a stop.

 _MATCH #6: HINATA VS KANKURO_

Kurenai put her hand on Hinata's shoulder, shaking her out of her shock and gave her a small smile of encouragement.

"Focus on this match, Hinata. When it's over, then you can worry about Naruto-kun."

Hinata nodded and marched resolutely down the stairs to meet her opponent. Kurenai watched attentively, trying to keep her mind off the idea of Naruto screaming in pain in some hospital bed. She couldn't help but imagine that with the number of scars she had seen that day before the exams started, his tolerance for pain must have been tremendous, therefore, anything that could make him fall to the floor in agony must be nothing short of torture.

She watched as Hinata dodged yet another attck from Kankuro's puppet, firing arrows at him as she forced his puppet onto the defensive. It was obvious that she could see the chakra strings he used to move it with her Byakugan, and the fluid way Hinata ducked around the contraptions blades and needles to deliver quick strikes to his chakra pathways was yet another reminder of how much Naruto had helped her.

Kurenai could see the depths of Hinata's feelings for Naruto every time she looked at him, and it was just another in a long list of doubts that filled Kurenai's mind when she thought of her own burgeoning feelings. If she pursued a relationship with Naruto, she knew she would inevitably be stealing him away from someone who wouldn't have the stigma of a six-year age difference hanging over her head every day. She smiled as Hinata won her match and walked back up the stairs to take her place next to Haku, who looked equally as worried about her teammate. Kurenai took note of the glare Hinata's cousin was sending her way and the way Haku would glare right back at him before reminding Hinata just how well she did.

Hinata blushed and looked down in embarrassment as her friend congratulated her. "Thank you, Haku-chan."

The flashing screen came to a stop indicating the next match, but Kurenai ignored it. She sidled up to where Anko was standing, shaking in anger, and put up a subtle genjutsu before grabbing her hand in support.

"I'll kill him," Anko whispered brokenly as Shikamaru and Kin took the field. "I'm gonna kill that slimy bastard for even laying a finger on him."

"It's okay, Anko," Kurenai whispered, pulling her friend into a hug. "Naruto's going to be fine, you'll see."

Anko shook her head as tears started raining down her cheeks. "That mark… It's pure torture. It takes advantage of even the slightest moment of weakness and suddenly all you can feel is rage. I don't want to see Naruto have to deal with that, Kure-chan. He doesn't deserve it."

"I know," Kurenai replied, stroking Anko's back. "But you also know Naruto. If anyone can come out the other side of this, it's him."

*(OoO)*

"Kit…"

Naruto groaned and turned his back to the wind howling all around him.

"Kit… wake up."

The sound of hissing filled Naruto's ears as he tried desperately to just go back to sleep.

"Naruto, I need your help! Wake up!"

This time Naruto did wake up as the booming voice of his dad shouting above him for help forced him into awareness. He looked around and noticed that the peaceful environment of his mindscape was in the middle of a hurricane. Wind howled, threatening to pick him up off the ground while lightning flashed, illuminating the darkened clouds above him. He looked up and saw that his dad was standing above him, shielding him from the torrential rain and snarling as he swiped his claws at something.

A boom of thunder filled the air, but even louder still was the sound of hissing coming from all around him. Naruto squinted his eyes as he realized the thing Kyubi was swiping at was a congregation of giant snakes, all made out of some sort of dark, ethereal flame. Kyubi roared and tore its claws through one of them, but it was quickly replaced by another.

"Dad!" Naruto shouted. "What's going on?"

Kyubi grunted and wrapped a tail around him, bringing him up to eye level and drenching him in the rain. "That snake bastard planted a seal on your neck, it's trying to corrupt you with his chakra. I can hold them off for now, but I won't last."

"How can I help?" Kyubi remained silent as it took another swipe at a snake and roared. Naruto grew frustrated with his father and shouted once more. "Dad! What can I do to help you?!"

"I can't ask you to do what I need you to do," Kyubi grunted, remorse in its giant red eyes.

"Bull!" Naruto replied angrily. "You just told me not five minutes ago that you need my help! Now what are we going to do?"

"I need you to go out and weaken the seal so I can break out," Kyubi said. "I know you have no reason to trust me, but-"

"What do I have to do?" Naruto asked cutting him off.

Kyubi's eyes widened in surprise before its mouth stretched into a feral grin, touched that its kit would trust it to such an extent. "You're gonna need to go outside the cage and tear off the seal covering the lock. That way, I can break out without killing you."

"Going outside the cage," Naruto repeated. "But that means…"

Kyuubi nodded. "Yeah, you're gonna have to face those ghosts of yours. But if you don't, we both die."

Naruto froze for only moment before a determined fire burned behind his eyes and his Kunshugan activated, spinning wildly. He wasn't about to let the closest thing to a father he had die without doing everything he could to stop it. He nodded to his dad and Kyubi placed him on the ground not far from the giant pines that formed the bars to his cage. He could see the ghostly mob chomping at the bit to get at him and he looked back at the Kyubi for one last boost of confidence.

"Kit, before you go," Kyubi said, tearing another snake apart with its teeth. "You should know, my real name… its Kurama."

Naruto grinned and nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Kurama-touchan." He turned and ran head first past the massive trees. He barely made it three steps before the mob swallowed him up and he was once again engulfed in darkness.

Memories of all the pain he had ever been through flashed before his eyes as he relived the countless beatings. He felt each blow like it was happening all over again, and his world exploded when that cleaver separated his arm from his shoulder. But worse still than all of that was the hunger. Tears streamed down his face as he relived every single night he had spent curled up on his dingy mattress, stomach crying out in pain as the words the villagers shouted at him every day played on an endless loop.

 _Demon!_

 _Brat!_

 _Just die already!_

 _Get out of here!_

 _Stay away from my children!_

 _Who could ever love something like you?_

He covered his ears and forced his eyes shut, trying to will away the voices shouting at him while the cold tendrils of loneliness wrapped around his heart. Somehow, it was worse than it ever had been before. He finally had experienced good things in his life, and the idea of losing them and going back to the way things were hurt more than any beating ever could.

 _Naru-kun._

His eyes opened as a single voice rang through the shouts filling his head. He looked up and he saw Tsunade standing above him, smiling softly. He couldn't help but smile and whisper the one thing he made sure to never address her as.

"Mom…"

In an instant the darkness and the ghosts were beaten back as more and more glowing forms of Naruto's precious people manifested themselves. Hiruzen, the Ichirakus, Kurama, Iruka, Shizune, Han, Kurotsuchi, Shino, Kiba, Zabuza, Konan, Haku, Anko, Hinata, Kurenai…

They all appeared and the glowing light around them pushed the shadows back. The pain faded and Naruto soon found himself lying once more on the ground, looking up as the gale-force winds shook and rattled the titanic evergreens. He focused on the trees and a group in the center flickered and transformed into a giant wooden gate. The beams crisscrossing it thicker than he was tall. In the middle of the gate was a massive twelve foot slip of paper with the symbol for _Seal_ on it. Willing himself towards it, a pillar of earth shot up out of the ground beneath Naruto, raising him to be level with the seal. He reached out and pried the corner off the gate when a hand grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him back.

Naruto landed on his behind with a grunt, and looked up angrily at whoever it was that managed to stop him from helping his dad.

"Hey! What's the big…" he trailed off as he took in the man standing above him. Everything from the messy blond hair, the clear blue eyes, and the long white robe with the words _Fourth Hokage_ written on them.

"Hello, Naruto," The Fourth said, smiling gently.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, stupefied that he was actually meeting his hero. "You're supposed to be dead."

The Fourth chuckled and shook his head. "I am. When I sealed the Kyubi's chakra inside you, I placed a little bit of my own chakra in the seal in case it ever weakened the seal or tried to use you to escape."

"Use me?" Naruto asked, confused. "Why would Dad use me? He's been looking out for me my whole life!"

The Fourth looked sadly at Naruto before turning to the cage and shouting in anger. "You convinced him that you were his father? That's low, even for you!"

Kurama roared as a snake sunk its fangs into its side. "I did no such thing! He just started calling me that, because he wanted a father! At least I was there for him! This is your one chance to talk to him and you're wasting it on me!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow as The Fourth lowered his head in shame. "What's he talking about?"

"The night I sealed the Kyubi in you," The Forth said slowly. "The night of your birth. I knew there was a newborn available for the seal because it was the night my son was born."

"Wait," Naruto's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "Then that means…"

The Fourth nodded, regret and sadness shining in his eyes. "My name is Minato Namikaze, Fourth Hokage, head of the Namikaze Clan, husband of Kushina Uzumaki, head of the Uzumaki Clan, and father to you, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto's eyes teared up as he enveloped his father in a hug. "It's so good to finally meet you! Don't worry, Tsuna-sensei and Kurama-touchan have been taking great care of me since you've been gone."

Minato smiled as Naruto babbled about his life. He could tell he was glossing over certain details, but he couldn't find it in him to care, his chakra was fading and he needed to do what he was supposed to before his time ran out. "Naruto, if you tear off that seal, the Kyubi will have even less of a problem breaking out. I created the seal so some of its chakra would leak into yours, but tearing it off will give it almost unrestricted access to the entirety of its Yang chakra."

Naruto nodded. "I know, but Dad has kept me safe all my life after you and mom died, and I trust that he's still trying to do that. Orochimaru placed a cursed seal on me, and without his full power, Dad might lose to it."

"Besides," Kurama shouted as yet another snake coiled around him. "You might not believe it, but I've had my Yin chakra restored since the last time we met. I could have broken out of here at any time."

"Then why not?" Minato asked skeptically.

"Because it would have hurt Naruto," Kurama yelled. "Now would you please let me help him before these stupid serpents overpower me?!"

Minato looked between Kurama and Naruto, trying to decide if he should trust the creature that had massacred the village –even if it had been under the control of the Sharingan –or do what he was supposed to and reinforce the seal. The decision was taken out of his hands when Naruto hugged him, determination burning behind those bright blue eyes that were so similar to his own, and ripped the seal off with a flourish. Minato smiled sadly and pulled his son back in for one more hug before he faded away.

"Just remember, your mother and I love you with all our hearts. We know you'll be a great man someday."

Naruto nodded, tears streaming down his face once more, as his father faded into nothingness. Once he was gone, Naruto turned his attention to his other father as Kurama started to glow underneath the pile of flaming snakes trying to subdue him.

"Go! I'll take care of them, when you wake up, this'll be nothing but an unwanted hickey from a pervy snake!"

Naruto laughed and felt himself being pulled out of his mindscape. The last thing he saw was Kurama roar and unleash a massive ball of energy that obliterated the snakes wrapped around him and blew open the gate of his cage.

*(OoO)*

Naruto opened his eyes only to quickly shut them and groan in pain when his sensitive eyes were stabbed with bright fluorescent light shining above him. The sickeningly clean smell all around him told him he was in a hospital room, and he frowned as he felt the coarse paper gown rub against him as he moved.

The door opened and he smiled when Tsunade and Shizune entered to check on him. They both cried out in joy once they saw that he was awake and Tsunade rushed to envelop him in her arms. Naruto accepted the hug eagerly as he was reminded of just why he saw her as a sort of maternal figure, even if he wouldn't voice it out loud.

He grumbled half-heartedly while Tsunade inspected him from head to foot and smiled when he locked eyes with Ryuda, who had been lying down at the foot of his bed.

 _How long have I been out?_ He asked.

Ryuda grinned, happy beyond words that his partner and brother in all but blood was back among the living. "About a day and a half. The preliminaries finished, and you're gonna be participating in the tournament in a month."

Naruto cheered and looked up at Tsunade with a hopeful look on his face. _So when can I put my clothes on and get back to training?_

Tsunade shook her head and smiled at her student's eagerness. After the scare she had just received she was more resolved than ever to speak with him as soon as she could. "I've checked you over and you should be good to come back to my place with Shizune and me. You'll stay there for a couple days, but we'll get back to training tomorrow if nothing changes."

Naruto smiled, then remembering the events that took place inside his mindscape relayed them to his sensei. Tsunade was happy that Naruto had found out the identities of his biological parents, and was unconcerned about the Kyubi –Kurama –keeping its word.

"And you aren't mad at all for what your father had to do?" She asked. Once they had returned to her apartment and were away from any prying ears. They were sitting on her couch in the living room and Tsunade felt the need to make sure Naruto didn't feel any sort of bitterness for what had happened to him.

Naruto shook his head. "He was the Hokage. He had to protect the village when Dad was attacking, and as Hokage it's not like he could ask someone else to give up their kid if he wasn't able to do it himself. Besides, sure my life has sucked a lot more than most, but if my father hadn't sealed Dad inside me, I wouldn't have met Ameterasu-sama, which means I wouldn't have gotten my Kunshugan or met you and Shizune-neechan. You two are like family to me, so how can I be mad? Also, I read about what my father did before he became Hokage, so I guess it makes sense for Jiji not to tell me either, especially if my mother was anywhere near as badass as he was."

Tsunade was struggling to hold back her tears while Shizune was openly crying. It seemed that when Naruto had given up the part of his heart that held hatred and resentment to Ameterasu all those years ago, it truly did prevent him from holding any sort of grudge and forced him to think through other's actions and try to understand them from their perspective.

That didn't mean he was without his own form of darkness. Naruto may not have been able to truly hate anything, but there was a primal rage that sat just below the surface, waiting to burst out should he perceive anything as a threat to those he considered precious. Luckily, it didn't come out too often, and as a child it was even sort of cute, seeing him stand up for her and Shizune whenever he noticed someone ogling them during their monthly visits, despite the fact that she was by all accounts one of the strongest individuals in the entire village. Tsunade worried though, that one day someone would do something to hurt the people close to Naruto and there would be nothing to stop him from razing everything around him to the ground. Now that Kurama was released and Naruto had access to the entirety of his power, she would have to really start training him to harness it so it didn't overpower him.

They both wrapped Naruto up in a hug and Shizune nodded over his head. When they separated, Tsunade got on her knees in front of him, pushing all worries to the side for the moment and looked deep into those beautiful blue eyes that had stolen her heart half a decade before.

"Naru-kun, you remember when I said there was something I needed to tell you?" Naruto nodded and Tsunade took a deep breath before continuing. "I was supposed to wait until after you made chunin to tell you this, but I can't hold it back anymore." She closed her eyes as a tear slid down her face. She felt a smaller, warm hand cup her cheek and opened her eyes as Naruto directed her to look into those eyes that were far too old for the boy who housed them.

"Take your time, Tsuna-sensei, I'm right here."

Tsunade nodded and closed her eyes once more as she took a deep breath to prepare herself. "When I first laid eyes on you, I froze. I had been spending the night drinking and gambling my sorrows away when in a flash of light Ameterasu-sama summoned me to Sarutobi-sensei's office. The sight of you so covered in blood reminded me of Dan and Nawaki and I wound up having a panic attack and thought that I had fainted. When I woke up, Sarutobi-sensei and I were in your mindscape with Ameterasu-sama holding you in her arms. She took us to meet Kurama, and explained that she would test you to see if you were worthy of receiving her blessings. We all watched as you and she spoke, and you asked her to give you the ability to read."

"You were there the whole time?" Naruto asked, shocked.

Tsunade nodded. "We were. That's how Kurama got his Yin chakra back. He asked to see your memories and after seeing them, nearly killed Sarutobi-sensei and I with his killing intent alone while he tried desperately to break out of his cage. He swore an oath to Ameterasu-sama that he would help you however he could and not fight you for control when you called upon his chakra. In return, she gave him his Yin chakra as well."

Naruto sat there, touched and amazed that his dad would go so far as to swear an oath to a goddess. He tried to contact him to confirm what Tsunade had said, but Kurama had been unresponsive as he rested from the effort of expunging the effects of Orochimaru's Cursed Seal. Casting his memory back, it did make sense of what Kurama had been referring to when he told Minato that he had already had his Yin half restored. He also remembered his conversation with Ameterasu from all those years ago and his eyes widened as he remembered what they had spoken about after she had granted his request.

"Then you were there for…"

Tsunade nodded and smiled softly. "I remember sobbing when I watched a little boy tell a goddess that could give him anything that he couldn't ask her for the one thing he wanted because it wouldn't be fair." By now it was Naruto who was crying. Shizune rubbed his back soothingly while Tsunade continued. "When we left your mindscape, I immediately started healing you. When I was done, I turned to Sarutobi-sensei and demanded he let me adopt you as my own."

Naruto's couldn't contain his shock at what she was telling him. His anger momentarily flared as he realised that his surrogate grandfather must have denied her request.

"Don't be mad at Sarutobi-sensei, Naru-kun," Tsunade whispered, running a hand through his hair. She brought her hand down and cupped his cheek, her thumb stroking the soft whiskers, which she was pretty sure were thicker now then the last time she had seen him. A low rumbling vibrated Naruto's chest, almost like a purr as she stroked his face, calming him down. She had always done this for him when he was upset, and it always worked to soothe him. "I told you about how I was before we met. I wouldn't have known the first thing about taking care of a child. I could barely take care of myself. Instead, Sarutobi-sensei offered me a deal. I would come back every month to check up on you, and when you made genin, I would be allowed to take you as my apprentice. If I could prove to him that I could clean up my act and care for you like a mother should, then I would be allowed to ask you if you wanted to be adopted when you made chunin."

"But didn't I technically become an adult when I made genin?" Naruto asked.

"Technically, but you can still be adopted until you reach the age of majority in the Land of Fire," Shizune explained.

"And if we're getting really technical about it," Tsunade added. "I'm officially accepting you into the Senju Clan and naming you my heir. The fact that the Uzumaki and the Senju Clans are distantly related will prevent anyone from contesting the action. So, what do you say? Will you be my son?"

Instead of answering, Naruto tackled Tsunade in a tight hug the brought them both to the ground. Tears of happiness poured down his face as he sobbed into her shoulder, repeating the phrase "I have a mom!" Over and over.

Once he'd settled down, Shizune went to the kitchen to prepare dinner while Tsunade and Naruto sat cuddled on the couch. The ever present grin on Naruto's face grew even larger when Ryuda, who had been curled up nearby, silently watching the events congratulated Naruto on getting himself a mom before dismissing himself to inform the rest of the dragons of what had just happened. Dinner was even more lively affair than usual as Naruto was back to being his energetic self, and they had all retired to the living room when a knock at the door interrupted their night. Shizune went to open it, and was harldy surprised when an ANBU told her that the Hokage had summoned Tsunade and Naruto.

Tsunade and Naruto arrived at the Hokage Tower via shunshin and made their way inside posthaste.

"You have gotta teach me that," Naruto said as Tsunade knocked on the door.

"And make you even harder to catch after one of your pranks? No thanks." Tsunade opened the door when the Hokage called for them to enter and wasn't entirely surprised to see Konan and the red-haired girl they had learned was also part of the Uzumaki Clan waiting inside.

"Hasu-chan! Karin! What are you two doing here?"

Konan couldn't help but smile at the affectionate nickname referring to the paper flower she kept in her hair while Karin tackled Naruto in a hug.

"Naruto-nii! We were all so worried when we heard what happened! Are you okay?"

Naruto smiled and returned the hug. "I'm okay Karin." He looked up and locked eyes with Konan, smiling reassuringly as he could see the quiet concern in her amber eyes as well.

"Naruto-kun, it's good to see you up and about," Hiruzen said, warmth flooding his tone. "I was worried our little snake infestation had gotten the better of you."

Naruto's grin took on its signature foxy quality as he turned to his leader and surrogate grandfather. "Don't you know, Jiji, foxes eat snakes!"

He and Tsunade then explained everything that had occurred since Orochimaru had bitten him. Naruto decided to let Konan and Karin know about his Jinchuriki status, as well as his heritage, shocking them both as well causing the Hokage to frown.

"Are you sure that is the wisest decision, Naruto-kun? Though you and Karin have grown close and are part of the same clan, she is still a shinobi of Kusa, and Konan, despite the many liberties she has been shown, is still a prisoner who worked for an organization who are actively hunting Jinchuriki."

Naruto nodded. "I had been thinking about those problems. Karin's in particular was tough, because even though Kusa mistreated her, there wasn't a lot I could do. She could become a missing-nin and join us like Zabuza did, but that paints a target on her back and the other shinobi of Konoha probably won't trust her, especially if she shares a last name with me. But now, I have a solution."

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Whenever Naruto thought of a solution for something that didn't involve him fighting his way out, it usually involved his extensive knowledge of every law ever written in Konoha. "And what is your solution?"

Naruto smirked and puffed his chest out in pride. "As head of the Uzumaki Clan, I offer my fellow clan mate refuge from a country that persecutes her, and as head of the Namikaze Clan, I provide the appropriate backing for this decision," he declared proudly. He turned to Karin and smiled softly. "You told me that you didn't want to be a shinobi, but it was the only way to survive in Kusa as a girl, right?"

Karin nodded sadly. "Y-yeah. The shinobi of Kusa pretty much do whatever they want, so I had to be one if I didn't want them hurting or taking advantage of me."

Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder, and used the other one to tilt her chin up and look her in the eye. "Accept my offer of refuge, and you can live as a civilian here, under the protection of both the Uzumaki Clan and the Namikaze Clan."

Tears filled Karin's eyes as she nodded happily and embraced him once more. Returning the hug Naruto turned his attention to Konan. "If you were given all of your freedoms right now, would you go back to the Akatsuki?"

Konan frowned as she thought silently about it for several minutes. "After seeing the way the people of Konoha treat you, I can't say for certain that Akatsuki's goals are as benevolent as I once thought. You could easily threaten to destroy everyone in this village, but I can see that wouldn't bring peace. If it succeeded, it would only bring more fear which would grow into hatred until they rose up to fight you. If I were given my freedom, I would continue on the path you've put me. I would stay by your side and help you find the real path to peace, and should we inevitably run into Nagato, I would hope that you could convince him as you have me. However, I don't wish to be instated as a kunoichi of the leaf."

"Why not?" Tsunade asked. "You're an S-Class kunoichi. Konoha could use someone like you."

Konan shook her head. "I never wanted to learn to fight. War had ravaged my country, and I needed to find some way to defend myself. After that, I fought to bring peace. I will continue to do that, but not as a pawn of the state. My loyalties may have shifted, but they are with Naruto now, not Konoha."

Hiruzen nodded. "Your motivations are understandable," he said and turned to Naruto. "I presume you wish to offer refuge and amnesty to Konan as well."

Naruto smiled. "This time it's the Namikaze clan offering Konan a spot as an honorary member."

Tsunade stepped forward as the Hokage smiled and nodded. "The Senju Clan provides its support to both of these decisions as well," she said, smiling as she winked at Naruto. "After all, it would look bad if I didn't support the decision of the next heir, wouldn't it."

Naruto grinned while Hiruzen rubbed his temples at what would inevitably be yet another Naruto-related headache. At least these ones didn't involve anymore underwear being strung up from flag poles. His headache faded slightly as a perverse grin stretched across his face. "Speaking of which, seeing as you've found out all the details involving your heritage, as well as Tsunade going against my wishes and offering to adopt you before you made chunin…"

Tsunade huffed and crossed her arms. "I ain't sorry," she mumbled, making Naruto and Karin chuckle while Konan smirked.

Hiruzen shook his head and continued. "Regardless, I'm sure you are aware of what the laws state about the last surviving male of any clan, correct?"

Naruto frowned as he rifled through different laws in his head before coming across the one the Hokage was referring to. "Oh man, do I have to?"

Hiruzen laughed. "I'm afraid so. Plus you are now the last surviving male of not one but three clans, so you're going to have to triple the current problem."

"Six? Really? How am I supposed to even find one, let alone six?"

Hiruzen laughed at the boy's obliviousness. "I'm sure you'll manage somehow. Now, there is the matter of your father's old estate."

"I'm moving in there," Naruto declared. "It's mine by right if inheritance anyway."

"You know, if you move in there it won't take long for word to get out concerning your heritage," Hiruzen informed him.

"I had already thought of that," Naruto replied. "That's why we tell people that you put it on the open market and I took it as reward for that side mission of ours. It's on file that the reward for the mission is land in my name, so while it will make pretty much everyone mad, it won't raise any red flags."

Hiruzen smiled and reached into his desk o pull out the deed to Minato's estate. "You just need to sign it."

*(OoO)*

Konan watched in fascination as Naruto's shadow clones ran around the house. Several were cleaning every available surface, as there was a visible layer of dust everywhere when they first arrived. It had been under the cover of night when she, Karin, Tsunade, Shizune, the Hokage, and Naruto had gathered in front of the wrought iron gate of the Namikaze estate. It wasn't a compound like many of the other clans Konan had seen around Konoha living in, but it was a rather large, two-story house. The house had maintained its condition on the outside, the only evidence of its age had been the over grown front lawn and path. The inside was comfortable and nicely furnished with several bedrooms, and closets to store clothes and equipment. Naruto had frozen inside the door to one of the rooms for a solid five minutes and when Konan went to see what he was staring at she couldn't help but pull him into a hug. The room had been painted light blue with orange swirls around the edges, and in it was everything one would presume a couple expecting their first child would have. After several minutes of silence, Naruto pulled back with a sniff before creating several shadow clones to seal up everything in the room while he shut the door and turned away.

The backyard was as ravaged by nature as the front had been, but Konan could see that once properly restored, they would have enough room to do most of their training there. She and Karin had already been given free rein to choose whichever room they wanted, excluding the master bedroom as Naruto had claimed that for himself. Both had little belongings, so they helped his clones with the restoration work while the Hokage returned to his office and Tsunade and Shizune went to pack their own belongings as there was still plenty of room for them as well. Several other clones had been running around the estate drawing complex seals on every surface in case someone tried to break in. The original had been working on the seal on the front gate after Tsunade and Shizune returned, and added all of their chakra signatures to it so as to allow them access to it.

They had all finally settled in for the night, enjoying a cup of tea together in the living room before bed while Naruto's clones kept working diligently on the various security measures, when they heard a pop followed by a squeak as smoke filtered out of the office Naruto had claimed as his own.

They all ran to his office and were shocked to see a girl curled up on the floor, her clothing torn, looking at them fearfully with wide, lavender-tinged eyes.

 **A/N: Props to the guy who correctly called me out on the fact that I'm basically giving Naruto the abilities from Avatar the Last Airbender. I always thought they were cool, and it has been fun writing about him slowly developing the abilities which he has by no means mastered yet. I decent amount of plot development here I hope as we move towards the interim month before the last round of the Chunin Exams. I'll warn you now, be prepared for not much more than fluff, circumventing various assholes with legal bullshit, training, and maybe a date. Also as you no doubt saw, there will be six girls in the harem: Kurenai, Anko, Konan, Haku, and Hinata are so far the ones I've decided on. I haven't figured out who I want to be the sixth, so feel free to drop a suggestion, and I'll consider it if I think she works.**


	12. Chapter 12

Naruto was all business the second he heard the pop indicating Hinata had arrived. He gathered her crying form up in his arms and held her close as he activated the seal on his throat.

"Kurenai, Kiba, Shino, I need you to come by my new house. Hinata needs her team. It's the Fourth's old house, Kurenai should know where it is. Mom, I need you to run a diagnostic jutsu on her, make sure you don't touch any of the markings on her body. Haku, Anko, be on guard for any Hyuga searching for Hinata and throw them off the scent if they ask where she is." Naruto looked down at the still crying Hinata and stroked her hair, getting her attention.

Hinata looked up, only now realising who it was holding her. She had been too focused on being taken away from her clan to realise who it was that had saved her. Tears blurred her vision when she saw a grinning pair of blue eyes smiling down at her. "N-Naruto-kun? You're o-okay?"

Naruto nodded and pulled her close once more. "Healthy as a horse, Ao-hime. Now, Tsunade is going to run a quick diagnostic jutsu them take you to put some clothes on, okay? I need you to not touch those markings at all, okay? I'll have them off of you once you're dressed."

Hinata nodded quietly and allowed Tsunade to run a glowing green hand over her body before Naruto transferred her from his arms to hers. Standing up, Naruto marched outside, ignoring everyone else in the house and started work on erecting the barrier around his house. He had been holding off, on the off chance that what just happened should occur, as he knew the barrier would prevent Hinata from being substituted with the log he had moved from his apartment to his office, but now that the worse had come to worst, he had no need to be lax in any of his security measures.

It would be a cold day in hell before he let somebody near his precious people.

Ryuda took his customary place next to Naruto, and watched as his partner worked diligently.

"Which dragons would be the best to summon as bodyguards for them?" Naruto asked.

Ryuda thought for a moment. "Slightly smaller than I was when we met, probably best to stick with non-elemental ones like me. We're scrappy from a young age. Elemental dragons aren't as much use until they're older, and they'll probably only listen to you."

Naruto nodded and finished the seal with a quick swipe of his brush. He activated it and turned around to summon eleven dragons about the size of large dogs. He could tell they were of a lower rank than Ryuda, as despite being smaller than he was when they met, they were clearly more developed, and bowed to them both in respect. They all had dark blue and green scales, and wore no armor. Where Ryuda had horns on the back of his head, they all had what looked like antlers of varying sizes.

"You are all being assigned to protection detail for Hinata, Tsuna-kaa, Shizune-neechan, the Ichirakus, Anko, Konan, Karin, Haku, Zabuza, and Kurenai. Their safety is your prime concern, other than that you should listen to them as if you would me, clear?"

"Yes, sir!" The dragons replied, five of them running into the house while five teleported away in a puff of smoke. The last one waited with him and Ryuda for the next five minutes until they saw Kurenai, Kiba, and Shino sprinting down the road toward the front gate.

Naruto opened the gate and let them in –the last dragon immediately taking up position behind Kurenai –ushering them into his house without a word.

"Naruto, what happened?" Kiba demanded. "Is Hinata alright?"

"She will be," Naruto replied. "We'll wait for her to come down and explain what happened. In the meantime, Tenshi-chan, I'd like you to allow this dragon to accompany you for a while, you may be a jonin, but I'm afraid I've started shaking things up and it would make me feel better if the people I knew who didn't have the benefit of clan protection had something to watch their backs. Their senses are sharper than the best nin-dog, and they'll listen to whatever you say as long as it doesn't compromise your safety."

Kurenai felt a little insulted that Naruto would think so little of her skills, but she also knew that this was his way of showing that he cared and was worried about her. She had a hunch of what had happened and knew that if Naruto was interfering, he would be making a lot more enemies, fast. She nodded and introduced herself to the small dragon.

"It is a pleasure, Kurenai-san," the dragon replied, bowing its head. "I am Ryuton, I will be looking after you for the foreseeable future."

They heard footsteps coming from up the stairs, and turned as Tsunade, Shizune, Konan, Karin, and Hinata made their way into the living room, the dragons he had sent to accompany them taking positions with Ryuton around the group. Hinata kept her head down as she quietly took a seat next to Naruto on the couch, burying her head in his shoulder while she tucked her feet in the large sweater Tsunade had given her. Kurenai took a seat on her other side and started stroking her back while the others seated themselves in various chairs around them.

"Hinata, did they try to apply the seal?" She asked quietly.

Hinata nodded and gasps rang out around the room. Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper with a seal on it. "Ao-hime, I'm going to take those markings off you now, okay? I'm gonna need to put this on your forehead."

Hinata nodded and took one last deep breath of Naruto's comforting scent before raising her head. Kiba growled and an angry buzzing could be heard from the bugs inside Shino as they took in the dark teal lines around Hinata's face, winding down her neck and into the sweater. Naruto held her chin with one hand, looking into her eyes with a comforting smile as his other placed the paper on her forehead and applied just a hint of chakra. The markings started moving as they receded into the paper, and soon enough her skin was back to its unblemished perfection. Naruto pulled the paper away and sealed it in the storage seal in his left wrist then pulled her back into a close embrace while Kurenai hugged her from behind. They sat there in silence, letting Hinata go at her own time, and after several minutes she finally spoke.

"I-it happened when I got home from training. M-m-my f-father sent a m-messenger t-t-to inform me that he wanted to see me after dinner. I-I went t-to his of-office and he started to ask me questions about my bow t-training. I t-told him it was going w-well and that I could hit a bullseye at two-hundred meters. He nodded then a-asked me about my training in our clan's styles. I told him about my victory in the preliminaries, and how my Byakugan helped in seeing my opponent's chakra strings and the Gentle Fist allowed me to disable his puppet and secure a quick victory. I thought he'd be proud of me… " Hinata paused and took a deep breath. Her voice took on a strangely hollow tone as she recounted what happened next. "He wasn't. He said he had heard different. He said that I had perverted the Gentle Fist and brought shame upon the clan by relying on my bow and a false taijutsu style instead of respecting tradition and using the proper Gentle Fist. I don't really remember much until I was sitting in the sealing building in front of the Council of Hyuga Elders. They said that I was guilty of making unapproved modifications to the Gentle Fist and banished me from the clan. They ripped off my jacket and started drawing the Caged Bird seal on me. When they tried to activate it, I shut my eyes because I had heard how much it hurt to be sealed if you were older, but instead I wound up in Naruto-kun's office."

"Those bastards!" Kiba shouted. "They can't get away with this!"

"I'm afraid they can," Tsunade informed them somberly. "The sealing of the Byakugan is part of their clan laws and is strictly internal. Not even the Hokage can interfere with it."

"Naruto-kun," Kurenai said, looking over the girl between them to lock eyes with him. "That was why you asked Hinata to place that seal on herself when you gave us your gifts after the mission in Wave, wasn't it?"

Naruto nodded, pulling Hinata close so she could almost feel his voice as he replied. "I had read about the Caged Bird seal during my fuinjutsu studies. I read about how it caused severe pain when applied and I wanted to make sure I could protect Ao-hime if her clan turned on her. It took me a while to figure out the best way to get her out of there fast, but I eventually came up with the idea of making a seal that does the same as the substitution technique. I placed one on a log that I kept in my apartment than moved to my office, and gave the other to Ao-hime. I'm still trying to work out a better way to instantly be where I'm needed, but I think I've got a few ideas."

"Thank you for rescuing Hinata from suffering through being given that seal. She's like a little sister to me, and I feared every day that the Hyuga might eventually turn on her for her kind and gentle nature." Kurenai said, tears stinging her eyes.

"Will there not be consequences for Naruto?" Shino asked.

"Yeah," Karin agreed. "You just said that even the Hokage can't interfere with internal clan matters, won't that mean Naruto-nii will be in a lot of trouble."

Tsunade couldn't help but grin as her son adopted his signature foxy grin. "Don't worry, there's no doubt that I'm about to make a lot of enemies, but I'll be fine."

Reassured by his confidence, they all turned to lighter topics until Hinata fell asleep in Naruto's arms. Kiba and Shino took that as their cue to leave, and Tsunade, Konan, Shizune, and Karin all headed to bed while Naruto carried Hinata up to one of the many guest rooms in the massive house. When he came back downstairs to lock up, he was surprised to see Kurenai still waiting on his couch.

"Tenshi-chan, what are you still doing here?"

Kurenai gazed forlornly into the cup of tea in her hands, until a blush worked its way up her cheeks. "In all the commotion, I never got the chance to tell you how happy I am to see you awake."

Naruto smiled and took a seat next to her. "You know me, ain't nothing going to keep me down."

Kurenai shook her head and looked up at him, tear-filled vermillion eyes swimming with barely controlled sadness and concern. "Do you have any idea how terrifying it was to see you like that? Rolling around and screaming in pain. We were all worried! Anko has been in a rage ever since you collapsed! Haku and Hinata haven't been able to focus on anything, even though they should be training for the tournament next month where it's entirely possible they might lose their lives! Konan just disappeared and we all thought she had somehow escaped or was plotting an attack until the Hokage notified us she had locked herself away in one of the filing rooms! And me…" she trailed off and looked away awkwardly.

"What about you?" Naruto asked softly, cupping her cheek.

"I-I was a wreck!" Kurenai exclaimed. "I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, all I could think about was you and how I might not get a chance to see what that kiss meant!" She froze and her eyes widened in fear. She hadn't meant to let that last part slip. Her shock melted into pleasure, though, when she felt Naruto pull her into a scorching kiss. She was panting slightly by the time they separated, and couldn't help but smile when Naruto leaned their foreheads together, his eyes still closed.

"I want to see what it means too, Tenshi," he whispered. "I know you have your reservations, especially because of our age difference, but I'd be willing to go at whatever pace you prefer as we figure out what it is we both feel. But there are somethings you would need to know first."

Kurenai listened quietly as Naruto relayed the many developments that had happened since he had collapsed on the floor of the arena two days prior. She grinned when he told her that he not only had found out who his birth parents were, but had also been adopted by Tsunade. She had always known that their relationship was more than that of student and sensei and was happy that Naruto now had living people he could call family. Kurenai couldn't hide her shock when he revealed his heritage, though now that she knew, she couldn't deny the uncanny resemblance between Naruto and pictures of The Fourth she had seen. There was a brief moment where she felt her anger towards the villagers grow even larger as their mistreatment of Naruto was made even worse now that she knew he was the son of two of Konoha's most powerful shinobi and head of two clans.

Her feelings were mixed when he told her about the Clan Restoration Act and the fact that he would need to marry six wives, or be married off by the council in order to repopulate not one, but three clans. A part of her was upset that if they went through with exploring their feelings, and they developed into more, she would never have Naruto to herself, however a surprisingly larger part of her was actually relieved. Naruto may have been oblivious, but she was not. She had seen the way certain other girls looked at him, some of them close to her. She knew that if she pursued a relationship with Naruto, there would always be a part of her that would feel as if she had betrayed Anko and Hinata of their happiness.

Anko was her best friend, and she could see how much Anko liked how Naruto treated her. His kindness and humor certainly helped make him appealing, but for Anko, Kurenai knew that it was a shock to not have to win the acceptance of someone and the fact that Naruto was a natural gentleman, even with her. He appreciated beauty, but he didn't objectify anyone, and he had zero tolerance for perverts or obnoxious guys.

Hinata, on the other hand, was, as she had said, like a little sister to her. Kurenai could remember days where she would encourage Hinata to speak to Naruto and try to get to know him. She remembered laughing at her student's blushing and stuttering, and smiling when Hinata told her about how Naruto inspired her to never give up. It was painfully clear to pretty much everyone _but_ Naruto that Hinata was head over heels in love with him, and she would be crushed if he chose someone else over her.

But with this new development, Kurenai could explore her feelings for Naruto while not dashing Anko or Hinata's hopes for happiness. Her mind made up, she smiled and leaned in to kiss Naruto again. Leaning back once more, she looked into his shining blue eyes and grinned. "I'd like to go on a date with you, Naruto-kun."

*(OoO)*

Naruto had barely gotten out of bed the next morning when the summons from the council came. He smiled as he turned from his front gate back towards the house. Kurenai had left not long after he agreed to go on a date with her, and he had spent the next hour lying in his bed, smiling at the ceiling as he relived every millisecond they had spent kissing. He closed the front door behind him and went up the stairs. He chuckled to himself as a messy-haired Tsunade groaned and rolled out of bed, stomping around and pouting while muttering about stupid councils and even more stupid sons for angering the stupid councils.

Naruto couldn't stop the grin from forming on his face at her casual mention of him being her son, and hugged her tightly, which helped to improve her mood a bit. They ate a quick breakfast of toast and cereal before preparing to head to the meeting. Tsunade showed him how to mold the chakra for a shunhin technique and they practiced for about half and hour, content to make the council wait as they knew what the meeting was going to be about.

With the help of his clones, Naruto got the basics of the shunshin down and they finally decided it was time to leave. Naruto locked the front gate, and together they shunshinned to the Hokage Tower. Naruto only slightly stumbled as he arrived and grinned. Ryuda and Tsunade's guard dragon, Ryusawa, trailed a step behind them and to their sides as they pushed open the doors to the council chamber. Naruto was mildly surprised that this time, it was just the shinobi side of the council present along with the Hokage. He had barely made it to the center of the room when Hiashi Hyuga pointed in accusing finger at him.

"Where is she, boy?" He scowled as Naruto simply smiled at him before bowing to Hiruzen.

Deciding on applying some theatrics, he channeled a little bit of chakra to his throat, ridding his voice of its hoarse quality and the burning pain that still came when he spoke for too long.

"Forgive us, Hokage-sama. Tsuna-sensei was training me on a new technique and we lost track of time."

Hiruzen smiled at his surrogate grandson's formal tone and the shock on the faces of the various clan heads who were hearing him speak for the first time. "While I will never condemn working to better oneself, do try not to make a habit of it, Naruto-kun. Punctuality is trait not nerely given the amount of respect it deserves."

Naruto nodded. "Wise words, Hokage-sama. I will endeavor to learn from my mistake this morning."

Hiruzen chuckled before returning to his calm, serious mask as he scanned over the faces of the various clan heads. Some were openly scowling at Naruto, their distaste for him clear. Some, like the heads of the Inuzuka and Aburame clans were curious as to what Naruto had done, and were trying to form their own opinions of him. Others were simply angry that they had been called to such an early meeting and made to wait for him to arrive. The only two people who didn't look unhappy were Tsunade who smiled at him in support and Shikaku, whose head was resting on the table as he slept. "Now, perhaps we can delve into what it is that has necessitated a meeting at such an early hour."

"Hokage-sama, this _child_ has not only interfered with internal clan matters, but is also charged with kidnapping my daughter!" Hiashi growled, glaring vengefully at Naruto.

Hiruzen frowned and turned his attention to Naruto, who simply ignored the glares being sent his way. "Those are some serious allegations, Hiashi-san. Naruto-kun, how do you plead?"

"Not guilty on either counts, Hokage-sama."

"Then how do you explain my daughter disappearing in the middle of her sealing ceremony, only to be replaced by a log?" Hiashi spat. "The application of the Caged Bird seal is a sacred tradition within the Hyuga clan, and must be applied to all who are not part of the Main Branch in order to protect the Byakugan!"

Naruto hummed thoughtfully and turned around to hop up on the civilian side of the horse-shoe table. Swinging his feet, he smiled pleasantly at Hiashi. "Hiashi-san, last I checked, Hinata was your oldest daughter and heiress to the Main Branch of the Hyuga Clan. Why would you apply the seal to her?"

Hiashi's cowl grew more severe as he sprung to his feet, Byakugan activated as he yelled at Naruto. "That's Hiashi-sama to you, boy! You would do well to show the proper respect to your superiors before your impudence gets you killed."

Naruto's expression grew cold. He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs as he met Hiashi's Byakugan with a furiously spinning Kunshugan. "That sounded almost like a threat, _Hiashi-san_ , not something that should be doled out thoughtlessly. You'd do well to remember that the only respect you are due is that of a non-active jonin. Your position in your clan means nothing to me, nor does anyone else's. Respect is to be earned, not demanded."

Hiruzen could feel various killing intents leaking from the clan heads who sided with Hiashi. While he agreed with what Naruto was saying, the boy was not making any friends with his blunt attitude. Meanwhile, Tsume, Shibi, and Tsunade were watching approvingly as Naruto did not yield, seemingly unfazed by the various killing intents. "I confess I too am curious, Hiashi," he said, breaking some of the tension. "Why would you apply the Caged Brid seal to your own daughter?"

Hiashi deactivated his Byakugan and returned to his seat as he composed himself. "She broke the laws of our clan and sullied our traditions. As a result, she was banished and to have the seal applied to her. Our sealmasters were just about to activate the seal when she vanished, a log sitting in her place."

"How do you know she didn't just substitute herself?" Shibi asked.

"The sealing chambers of the Hyuga clan prevent anyone but the sealmasters from moulding chakra," Hiashi explained. "Clearly, someone on the outside must have performed the jutsu."

"I guess the jig is up," Naruto sighed. "I may have accidentally forgotten to remove a substitution seal from Hinata after one of our group training sessions."

"So you admit to it," Hiashi smirked. "Return my daughter do to me, so we might reapply the seal."

Naruto smirked right back. "Nope."

"You don't have a choice," Inoichi growled. "The Caged Seal may be cruel, but it's a necessary evil to protect the village."

"Not only that, but to interfere with the internal affairs of a clan, and one as influential as the Hyuga is a grave offense," Danzo added. Smirking on the inside as Koharu and Homura played their parts perfectly.

"And that's only one of the many actions you have taken against the interest of Konoha!" Koharu exclaimed.

"Harboring ninja of other villages, associating with a known high-rank criminal, trespassing on the property of The Fourth," Homura listed off, visibly gleeful when even Naruto, Tsunade, and Hiruzen looked at him in shock. "Time and again you have gone against the wishes of the council, and put this village at risk. We have tolerated you, but we will not stand for such treasonous acts, you demon!"

Silence fell over the council chambers as he finished, ony to be broken by Ryuda who growled angrily at the old man's accusations. He stood behind Naruto as he hopped off the table, and released his transformation. Even Danzo was wary of the massive, armored beast looming over them all. Hiruzen, and Tsunade locked eyes, both preparing to move in case Naruto lost control. They both tensed as Naruto flexed his chakra, filling the air with an oppressive aura that made it feel like gravity had been increased drastically. Luckily there was no hint of Kurama's killing intent, signifying Naruto was not using his father's chakra to intimidate them. His Kunshugan span faster than ever –the swirling gold and blue mesmorizing as they were intimidating –and he channeled more chakra to his throat, amplifying his voice, increasing its volume and giving it a ringing, echoing effect as it surrounded them.

"You have it backwards, old man, I'm the one who has tolerated you. I work tirelessly for this village, and I do not appreciate being accused of commiting treason by lawmakers who can't even be bothered to read their own laws." His voice remained steady and calm, and the crushing pressure faded as he turned to address Hiruzen. "Hokage-sama, with your approval I would like to include the shinobi side of the council on our revelations from yesterday as part of my defence."

Hiruzen contemplated Naruto's request for a solid minute before nodding his head slowly. "The floor is yours, Naruto-kun."

Naruto inclined his head gratefully then turned to stare Hiashi down. "You accuse me of interfering with internal clan affairs. I did no such thing. I have already told you of the substitution seal that was left on Hinata by mistake. By law in Konoha, the banishment of an individual is not properly enacted until said individual has left the confines of the clan's estate, ensuring they still have the necessary access to get their affairs in order before leaving. Therefore, the second Hinata appeared in my office, she was no longer part of the Hyuga clan, and thus no longer governed by their laws. She is now just another kunoichi of the leaf, and you have no right to apply that seal on her." He paused, allowing the fact that he had outmaneuvered Hiashi to sink in for the arrogant clan head. "Additionally, Hinata, along with Konan and Karin have all been granted protection and by the head of the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans."

Naruto smirked as the rest of the council processed what he just said before bursting out in anger. They were outraged that he would go so far as to presume he could garner the approval of two dead clans. Hiruzen sighed at the inevitable headache that this revelation would undoubtedly produce, and leaked some of his killing intent to silence the dissenters.

"I can attest for Naruto's claims," he said. "Naruto Uzumaki is the son of Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze, as a result, he holds the authority as head of both the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans."

"Not to mention he has been named heir apparent of the Senju clan," Tsunade added, smiling at her son.

"The details concerning Naruto's heritage are to remain an S-Ranked secret, and will be kept better than the last secret involving him." Hiruzen declared. "Anyone who dares utter a word about this will be killed, and their clan tried for treason for inviting more enemies to Konoha's gates."

The other clan heads nodded fearfully and Naruto smiled as Ryuda transformed back to his smaller form. "If that's all, Hokage-sama, I need to train so that I may better represent Konoha in the tournament next month." He bowed and walked out the door, Ryuda, Tsunade, and Ryusawa not far behind him.

*(OoO)*

The rest of the week was not nearly as eventful. Naruto and Tsunade stepped up his training in preparation for the tournament. They had increased the level of his resistance seals when they learned that his first opponent was to be Lee, and he had been working himself into the ground ever since while his clones focused on mastering whatever they could. His elemental styles were coming along well, as he had moved on to creating a lightning style while still practicing combining the others. Today was Sunday, though, and as usual he was taking it easy. He had visited the Ichirakus, excitedly informing them of his adoption as well as his placement in the third round of the exams. They had both congratulated him on finally finding a family to call his own, and had waved the price for his meal as reward for making it so far in the exams.

Naruto was now sitting alone in Training Ground 43, his Kunshugan active as he stared at the trees around him. He had begun to notice a strange glowing coming from his surroundings and was trying to figure out what it was. It was almost like the trees and plants and rocks all had their own chakra, but he couldn't make heads or tails of it. He closed his eyes and sighed in frustration as he contemplated what it could mean if the things around him had chaka. He hadn't been able to find a single book on the subject and was beginning to feel as lost as he was with his seal experiments.

Apparently, the Second Hokage as well as his father had found ways to use seals to move instantaneously between two points, but every record he found on it was vauge at best. Neither Hiruzen nor his mom were nearly skilled enough in seals to understand how those techniques had worked, so he was left with yet another dead end and was close to tearing out his hair.

 _Maybe I just have too much on my plate,_ he thought to himself. It would make sense as from the moment he woke up after being bitten, he had been thinking of ways to remove the Cursed Seal without killing the bearer. If it had hurt so badly for him, Naruto couldn't bear the thought of Anko walking around with a prototype of the seal randomly torturing her with debilitating pain. On top of that, after his little stunt in front of the shinobi council, Naruto could feel a certain tension in the air. It was clear that several of the clans were threatened by his blatant disregard for the way things had run in Konoha for as long as anyone could remember, and he worried about what would happen should that tension reach a boiling point.

Unfortunately, his train of thought was broken when he felt an unfamiliar chakra signature above him and had to dive to the side to avoid several projectiles speeding toward his head. He opened his eyes and looked toward the source of the projectiles. Standing on a thick tree branch above him was a girl around his age with pale blue hair tied up in a spiky ponytail while two long strands of hair framing her pale face. She had dark eyes that glared down at him sadistically, but there was something… missing behind it. Compared to the sadism in Anko's eyes, there was a conspicuous lack of… sincerity in this girl's eyes.

She wore a dark green sleeveless top over her mesh armor, and tied it closed with a burnt orange sash across her stomach, her legs were only covered by a pair of bike shorts and a pair of sandals on her feet.

"Naruto Uzumaki," the girl said. "My name is Guren, and I Orochimaru-sama has burdened me with the glorious task of ending your life."

 _I really can't catch a break,_ Naruto thought. His eyes widened when Guren held out her hand and crystals began to form in the air around it. Thinking quickly, he activated his Kunshugan and relaxed his muscles. Time came to a stop as the last of Guren's crystals started forming, and he took his time to carefully analyze everything he could.

As far as he could tell, she was channelling both earth and wind chakra to create her crystals. The crystals themselves weren't being created out of her chakra itself, but rather the unique combination of chakra seemed to cause the moisture and particles in the air to crystalize. This told him that her ability created crystals from the matter around her as opposed to being generate from her chakra, meaning any earth or water techniques he used would simply supply her with more ammunition. He still wasn't adept enough with his lightning or fire natures to do any real damage, and his wind techniques generally weren't suitable for breaking through what was sure to be a powerful defence. On top of that, he could see a familiar chakra signature glowing from some kind of seal on the back of her neck. Naruto's mind worked furiously and his eyes prickled slightly as an absolutely insane idea sprung up in his head.

Time started to move once more and a dark grin spread across Guren's face as she hurled her crystals at Naruto. Naruto dodged the onslaught and leapt to a tree branch roughly twenty meters from Guren. He had barely landed when the mouth of an enormous pink crystal dragon surged up from under him, crushing the branch between its jaws and just narrowly missing as it tried to shred him to pieces.

"You might as well give up!" Guren called as she and the dragon chased Naruto further into the woods of the training ground. "My crystals are unstoppable! You'll soon be dead and Orochimaru-sama's wishes will be granted!" She created a spinning blade of thin crystal and hurled it at Naruto, forcing him to duck and stumble right into the waiting jaws of her dragon.

She commanded the dragon to snap its jaws closed and slam into the ground. It exploded on impact with the ground and reformed into a large outcropping of crystal jutting out of the ground, floating in the center of it, trapped, was Naruto. Guren smiled as she landed on the ground and approached the pink, transparent cage. "If it's any consolation, most people don't even last that long. I'm going to enjoy slowly chiseling you to pieces."

She raised a hand, creating a spear of crystal and prepared to drive it deep into the outcropping when Naruto's cage started to glow. The light originated around Naruto and spread out to fill the entirety of his crystal prison. Guren watched, unsure what was happening as the pink of her crystals faded into a pale green. Cracks began forming along the surface of it, and she had to rush to create a shield as the prison exploded. Pale green shards flew out in every direction while Naruto landed on his feet with a smirk, infuriating Guren.

"Alright, you want to play? I'll play!" She shouted as she created a varitable deluge of pink needles, raining them down on Naruto who didn't make a move to dodge. To Guren's shock, Naruto spun in place, his movements dancing between fluid, light, and firm, and as he did, the crystals hurtling towards him changed colour once more before spinning around his body in time with his motions and being sent back at her. "H-how?!" She shrieked as she created another rain of spears.

Naruto winked and disappeared with a burst of smoke just as one of her spears pierced his chest and Guren froze as she felt cold metal against her neck. "Depending on how you are after I remove this seal," Naruto whispered in her ear as he channelled both his and his dad's chakra into his hand and pulled out a piece of paper similar to what he had used on Hinata earlier that week. He slapped the paper to the back of her neck, watching with his Kunshugan as Orochimaru's fould chakra was sucked out of Guren's body before she collapsed in his arms with a gasp.

*(OoO)*

Tsunade reclined in the hot spring with a sigh. It really had been a long week of training with Naruto, and she was in desperate need of some relaxation. As she enjoyed the soothing warmth of the water, her thoughts turned towards her son, a smile finding its way to her face as it did everytime she thought of her and Naruto officially being family. His life just seemed to be getting more and more complicated as time went on. Across from her, Konan groaned as she lowered herself into the water.

"I take it your work in the file room is starting to wear on you?"

Konan scowled and sank even lower into the water while Ryuko, the dragon Naruto had assigned to shadow her snickered from her position curled up on a nearby rock. "Konan's been itching for some action, especially because the boss has stopped sending clones to help her while he trains." Ryuko was the only reason that Tsunade had finally been able to enter the springs in the first place as Ryusawa had constantly argued that as a gentleman, he would be unable to properly guard her in the segregated onsen.

"Is that so?" Tsunade asked, smirking with an arched brow.

Konan shrugged nonchalantly and leaned back, though the slight darkening of her cheeks told Tsunade she wasn't as unaffected as she let on. "For one so young, he makes for stimulating conversation. He even makes something as dull as sorting through mountains of paperwork and budget proposals less mind numbing."

"He is pretty smart for his age," Tsunade replied.

"How is the council handling his most recent bout of boat-rocking?" Konan incquired.

Tsunade sighed and shook her head. "As an active shinobi, I don't get to be present in most of the proceedings, though Sarutobi-sensei has my power of attorney, so that helps since he has the combined political power from his position and the Sarutobi, Namikaze, Uzumaki, and Senju clans. Near as we can tell, Naruto's actions have divided the clan heads on how they feel about him. One group is totally against him because he seems to have a complete lack of regard for clan laws, they're primarily made up of the Hyuga, Yamanaka, and Kurama clans. Another is on his side, mostly due to his character proving that he would go to whatever lengths necessary to protect those he's loyal to. This of course won over the Inuzuka, and the Aburame can appreciate it as well. Surprisingly, Shikaku also seems to be aligning himself with Naruto as well. The third group is the biggest and composed of everyone else. They're against everything Naruto stands for and see him as a threat to their way of life. They're also the ones who have the civilian council on their side and lobby the hardest against him."

"That sounds like it has the potential to get very dangerous, very fast," Konan remarked.

"It already is," Tsunade informed her. "Shizune has told me that there's been an increase in training injuries lately, and it seems to be following the pattern of clan alleigances."

"I have noticed more and more glares being directed my way," Konan said.

"I'm worried about what happens when other villages hear about how tense the situation is here," Tsuande said. "It wouldn't take much for this all to escalate past a point of no return, and if it does not only will the village be vulnerable, but the Land of Fire as a whole would be as well."

"Have you considered the possibility of leaving?" Konan asked.

"Naruto would never go along with it," Tsunade replied. "He holds no real love for the village itself, but he has people who are close to him here, and as long as they are here he'll defend the village to his last breath. On top of that, Akatsuki is still after him."

"So what can we do?" Saying the odds were stacked against them would be putting it lightly. They had few allies and their list of enemies seemed to be growing all the time.

"Sarutobi-sensei sent for my old teammate to come back to the village," Tsunade replied. "Together he and I will make Naruto as strong as he can be, not to mention Jiraiya is Konoha's only sealmaster who could possibly help Naruto in furthering his skills."

"Jiraiya-sensei is coming here?" Konan asked anxiously.

"You know him?" Tsunade countered. Her eyes widened in realisation. "Wait, you were part one of those three kids he stayed back to train when we were in Rain weren't you? That's why you seemed so familiar when we first met!"

Konan nodded. "Jiraiya-sensei taught us how to defend ourselves so that we could survive the war. It was his ideas of peace that inspired Yahiko, Nagato, and I to start Akatsuki. Now though, it's become at best a group of S-Class mercenaries run by a man who has lost himself in his pain. If it weren't for Naruto, I too would still be following Pain blindly. I can't bear the thought of them coming after the one who showed me that I didn't have to live in constant pain and that there were other ways to create peace."

"You really care for him don't you?" Tsunade asked, already knowing the answer.

Konan nodded and opened her mouth to reply but was cut off as the seals on their necks activated and Naruto's quiet voice whicpered in their ears.

 _"Mom, I need you to come meet me at the house. There's someone here I need you to look at."_

Tsunade sighed and rose to her feet, wrapping a towel around herself. "Why do I get the feeling our lives are about to get even _more_ complicated."

"Because that's just part of your son's charm."

They quickly got dressed and exited the hot springs only to be surprised by Ryuda waiting just outside with a rather nervous-looking Jiraiya.

"Hey, Tsu-hime. I take it this overgrown iguana works for you?"

"Tsunade-sama, I caught him attempting to spy on you and Konan-sama while you bathed," Ryusawa informed her. "Would you like me to report him, or deal with him personally?"

"Wait, Konan? What are you doing in Konoha?" Jiraiya asked. "Where are Nagato and Yahiko?"

"It's good to see you again, Jiraiya-sensei. I see you haven't changed," Konan replied with a smile that faded as her thoughts turned to her old friends. "I'm afraid I am here on my own."

"You can fill him in on what he's missed on the way, Konan," Tsunade ordered. "Right now, Naruto needs us back home."

"Wait, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked, hurrying after Tsunade. "You wouldn't happen to be talking about Naruto Uzumaki, would you?"

Tsunade nodded. They hurried home, with Konan trying to answer as many of Jiraiya's answers as she could in the short time. He fell silent as they arrived at their house and looked up at the newly restored building. "So, he knows about his heritage already?"

"He knows about a lot," Tsunade replied bitterly. She pushed open the door and ushered them in. "We'll talk about it later."

Jiraiya nodded, his trademark goofiness nowhere to be found. He followed her into the house where they saw Naruto kneeling on the floor in front of the couch where a girl with pale blue hair, just a shade or two darker than Konan's lay unconscious.

Naruto turned his head at the sound of the door opening and closing and saw his mom with Konan and some stranger with long, white hair. Trusting that Ryuda, who had returned from the Realm of Dragons and was curled up on the floor by his feet, would keep an eye on the stranger, he turned is attention to his mom.

 _I need you to run a diagnostic to make sure she isn't suffering from any brain damage,_ he signed.

Tsunade nodded and began checking the girl over while Konan introduced Jiraiya.

"Naruto-kun, this is Jiraiya-sensei. He was Tsunade-sama's old teammate and is the one who taught me during the war."

Naruto nodded and reached out his hand in greeting. "I guess that means you can be trusted," he said in hoarse voice. Jiraiya smiled and reached out to shake his godson's hand, only to frown in fear as Naruto held him in a crushing grip and flexed his chakra while channeling a little bit of his dad's chakra to turn his eyes red with a slitted pupil. "But if I ever hear about you peeping on Tsuna-kaachan, I'll wipe you from the face of the earth, Sannin or not, got it?"

Jiraiya swallowed nervously, sweating under the surprising force of Naruto's chakra as he nodded quickly. As quickly as it came, the crushing aura vanished and Naruto's eyes returned to normal. Jiraiya turned his attention to the girl lying on the couch below Tsunade and attempted to move things along.

"So, who's the girl?"

Naruto turned back to the girl and returned to his place kneeling in front of her. "Her name's Guren. Orochimaru sent her to kill me."

Even Tsunade hesitated in her work while Konan took over voicing her outrage for her.

"And you decided to bring her here? If Orochimaru sent her, then she's dangerous! She should be in custody! Or killed!"

Naruto silenced her with a stern look that no thirteen year-old should have been able to pull off. "If you'll remember, Konan, it wasn't too long ago that you were in her position."

"My situation was different." Konan argued.

"Really? Is it not Akatsuki's goal to capture all the jinchuriki and extract their Tailed Beasts, killing them in the process?"

Konan had the decency to look away, cheeks burning with shame. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I just worry for your safety."

Jiraiya wished he had his notebook so he could jot down notes for inspiration as Naruto stood up and walked over to Konan, wrapping his arms around her waist. He was quickly gaining on her in terms of height, only standing a couple of inches below her as he caught her eyes with his own.

"It's okay, Hasu-chan. I appreciate your concern, and it makes me happy that you care about me enough to worry. However, I need you to trust in my judgement. Not everything is as simple as we think at first glance, remember?"

Konan nodded and buried her face in Naruto's shoulder. Naruto smiled and stroked her back while turning his head to his mom. "What's the prognosis?"

Tsunade leaned back and deactivated her jutsu. "No signs of permanent brain damage. She does show signs of chakra exhaustion, which is strange considering her reserve don't seem terribly depleted, and there is evidence of foreign chakra being in her system."

Naruto nodded. "That makes sense. When do you think she'll wake up?"

"Whenever," Tsunade replied. "Whatever you did to pull out that foreign chakra sent her into shock as it had been in her for a dangerously long time and was in danger of corrupting her entire chakra network as the two mixed. All she needs is a little infusion of chakra to jump start her network and wake her up."

"Can you do it now?" Naruto asked pulling away from Konan. Tsunade did as requested and pressed her glowing green hand against the back of Guren's neck. In a matter of seconds, she groaned and squeezed her eyes before opening them slowly and looking around. Seeing the unfamiliar faces surrounding her, she shot up in a panic.

"W-where am I?" She asked fearfully. "Who are you people?"

Naruto smiled and stepped forward. Clearly removing the seal from her had worked as there was no longer the almost sleepy air around her that she had before. Channeling some chakra to his throat, he spoke in as soothing a tone as he could.

"It's alright, you're safe here."

Recognizing Naruto as the boy she had attacked, Guren's eyes widened as she recoiled in fear. "P-please, don't hurt me! I didn't mean to attack you! He told me to and it was like my body started acting on its own!"

Naruto nodded and kneeled down in front of her while Tsunade stood up to give them some space. If the past was any indicator, Naruto was about to somehow charm her into helping them and they were about to probably get yet another roommate.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Naruto said. "Do you remember my name?"

Guren nodded shakily, her rapid breathing starting to slow. "Y-you're Naruto Uzumaki."

"That's right," Naruto said calmly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper and a scroll. "I know you weren't in control of your actions, Orochimaru placed a seal on you but I took it off."

"You did?" Guren asked hopefully. "He doesn't control me anymore?"

Naruto shook his head. "Would you like to see it? Proof that you're finally free?"

Guren nodded. "Please? If you could. I just want to be sure."

"Okay," Naruto said with a smile. He reached out to help Guren to her feet, waiting patiently when she froze and recoiled until she finally put her hand in his. Naruto pulled her over to the kitchen and unrolled a part of the scroll on the table. He placed the paper face down on the scroll and channeled a little bit of chakra into it. Ink spread out from the paper and when he pulled it off, there was an intricate seal drawn on the scroll. "That's a loyalty seal. Orochimaru placed it on you to make you believe anything he said. I can only guess that your crystal release was simply too valuable for him not to try and collect."

Guren nodded and looked at the seal with a mixture of fascination and disgust. She turned to her savior as he rolled the scroll back up and placed it in his pocket. "Thank you, Naruto, for saving me from a life as that man's slave."

Naruto nodded and pulled her back up to her feet. "It was the right thing to do. Besides, fighting those crystals of yours was really fun! It made me really have to think about how to beat you."

Guren's eyebrows shot up as she was reminded of their brief battle in the forest. "Speaking of our fight, how were you able to control my crystals? Do you have the crystal release as well?"

Everyone else in the room turned to Naruto and he shrugged sheepishly before Tsunade stepped in. "Guren, my name is Tsunade. Unfortunately, the answer to that is classified until we can determine whether you're a safety concern. If you don't mind, there's an empty room upstairs where you can rest while we discuss how to move forward."

"I understand," Guren replied. "If it helps, I am willing to give you any information I have on Orochimaru in exchange for being allowed to stay with Naruto."

"Why would you want to stay with me?" Naruto asked.

"I don't have anyone else," Guren stated sadly. "Before Orochimaru found me, I was an outcast. People feared me because of my powers and shunned me. You rescued me, and are treating me like a person even though I tried to kill you. If possible, I'd like to stay with you and fight by your side."

Naruto nodded and performed a quick summoning jutsu. Yet another dragon like Ryuko and Ryusawa appeared and bowed its head to him. "The Uzumaki clan welcomes you Guren. This little fella will stay with you and keep you safe as well as remind people that you're under my protection."

Guren bowed gratefully while the dragon cheerfully led her up the stairs, introducing itself along the way.

"So, are you going to answer the question, Naruto?" Tsunade asked. "How were you able to manipulate the crystal release?"

Naruto smiled sheepishly and sat in the chair Guren vacated. "It wasn't that hard," he said. "Once I figured out that she was using wind and earth chakra to crystalize particles, it didn't take much to figure out how to do it myself." To prove his point, he closed his hand and pumped a little bit of chakra before opening it to reveal a tiny, pale green, crystalline flower which he handed to a blushing Konan.

"Kid, that's supposed to be impossible," Jiraiya informed him. "Advanced releases are supposed to need a specific bloodline to properly combine the chakra natures."

"It's not like it was easy," Naruto said. "But once I saw that it kinda ran along the same lines as what I was trying to do with mixing my elemental styles together, it sorta just clicked in my head."

"Do you think it could be another ability of the Kunshugan?" Konan asked.

Naruto shrugged. "I've never been able to replicate your paper techniques or Sekki-chan's ice techniques before."

"But we haven't actually tested if there were any new abilities that came with your Kunshugan maturing," Tsunade said. "So it's entirely possible that this is just another manifestation of your growing abilities. In fact, it's the most likely answer."

"Cool!" Naruto exclaimed. "Hey, Ryuda, you hear that? My Kunshugan's gotten even more badass!"

"That's awesome, Bro! Now you and I can kick even more ass!" Ryuda cheered. "Maybe that's also why you keep seeing that weird chakra everywhere."

"I'm sorry," Jiraiya interrupted their celebration with a confused and frustrated look on his face. "But what is a Kunshugan?" Naruto answered by activating his dojutsu, shocking Jiraiya as he laid eyes on the gold and blue spirals spinning around his pupil.

"Naruto has a newly discovered dojutsu unique only to him," Tsunade explained. "We're still trying to figure out what all of its abilities are."

Naruto stood and created a shadow clone who saluted and ran out the front door. "Hey, Mom, while you get Ero-Sennin up to date, I'm gonna go check on Guren. My shadow clone went to get Jiji, so he should be here soon with Hebi-hana to talk to her."

Tsunade nodded and Naruto and Ryuda turned to leave, but were stopped by Jiraiya. "Hey, kid, how'd you pull off that trick with showing her what a loyalty seal looked like? Did you make one before hand?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nope, the one I showed her is the one I removed from her. If you scan it, you'd find Orochimaru's chakra signature is still coursing through it."

Jiraiya was stupefied. "How could you have possibly removed a seal without breaking it?"

A foxy grin spread across Naruto's face as he found the answer to a few of his problems. "Quid pro quo, Ero-Sennin. Sealmasters don't share their discoveries without receiving information of equal value."

"A little cocky to be calling yourself a master, aren't you, brat?"

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe, but I've created about thirty of my own custom seals so far, and if you want any information on them you'll still have to give up something yourself."

Jiraiya scowled and crossed his arms. "Fine, how about I teach you some really cool jutsu?"

"You're going to be doing that anyway," Tsunade interjected. "That's what you're here for."

"Doesn't matter," Naruto added. "I already know what you're going to teach me."

"And what's that?" Jiraiya asked, feeling suddenly very defensive.

"You're going to tell me everything you know about the Hiraishin."

 **A/N: Quite a bit happened here and it sorta got away from me. Once again, I find I need to work on my pacing, and the fight scene was shorter than it could have been, but with enemies that are way stronger and don't underestimate Naruto (which is generally how he achieves most of his wins) I'll endeavor to make them longer. The Kunshugan thing isn't quite as over powered as it sounds, though considering its a literal blessing from a god... Also while Naruto may not be immediately getting the Hiraishin, I didn't see any limitations during my research that would actually stop him from using it other than knowledge of how it works and the correlation between chakra used and the size and distance something is transported. Also I know none of you suggested Guren for the sixth girl, but I don't think I've read a fic with her so once I found a mcguffin to not make her loyal to Orochimaru, I can pretty much play around with her however I please. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you tell me your thoughts.**


	13. Chapter 13

"You can't seriously expect me to teach him about the Hiraishin, can you?" Jiraiya asked.

He, Tsunade, and Hiruzen had gathered around the desk in Naruto's office. He had offered them the space to quietly discuss Konoha's next move in light of the information Guren had given them pertaining to Orochimaru's plans while he, Guren, Konan, and Anko remained downstairs.

"I can and you will," Hiruzen stated firmly.

"But Sarutobi-sensei, that's Minato's signature technique! Assuming Naruto, a _child_ , can actually manage to pull it off, once people start seeing him using it willy-nilly, enemies are going to start flocking to Konoha to take out the next Yellow Flash!"

"Firstly," Tsunade said. "It was my great-uncle's technique that Minato was given permission to learn, so if anyone has the right to learn it, it's the heir to both the Senju and Namikaze clans. Second, Naruto has been fiddling with the idea of a seal that allowed instantaneous movement since our mission near the border of the Land of Fire. He's going to figure it out on his own eventually, and I'd rather you help guide him then he get hurt experimenting on his own. Lastly, didn't you hear what that Guren girl said, Jiraiya? Orochimaru plans to _invade!_ The enemies are already coming."

"Tsunade has a point," Hiruzen said. "We can benefit from having another shinobi with the ability to use something as reputable as the Hiraishin, not just externally but internally as well. The village is more divided than ever when it comes to Naruto. They see him and his ideology of protecting those close to him as a threat to their way of life and to the village."

"And is he?" Jiraiya asked.

"What are you talking about, Jiraiya?" Tsunade demanded. "Naruto has shown nothing but loyalty to Konoha."

"Not from what you've told me. He's interfered with internal clan politics, harbored fugitives who either pose a threat to Konoha or have valuable information that could benefit the village, and I'm sure there's more that he's done as well."

"And if you were listening, you would know that he has been acquitted of every charge that was unfairly laid against him!" Tsunade shouted. "It's not like he's planning an attack or anything!"

"I never said he was!"

"Really? Because it sounds an awful lot like you were insinuating that _my son_ was at risk of going rogue!"

"Because you're the model of loyalty to your village. To be frank, I'm surprised my godson isn't wandering the Land of Fire drinking and gambling whatever money Minato and Kushina left him away, cursing the village every other sentence!"

Tsunade shot to her feet, ready to remind her old teammate that he wasn't the only one awarded the title of Sannin all those years ago.

"That's enough," Hiruzen said calmly, leaking enough killer intent to put both of his rowdy students in their place. "Sit down Tsunade. We're getting off topic here."

Tsunade sat down, still glaring at Jiraiya as she muttered, "Sorry, Sarutobi-sensei."

Hiruzen waved her off and turned to Jiraiya. "Jiraiya, I can see where your concerns come from. While we will discuss your absence from Naruto's life later, it does provide you with an unbiased outside perspective. Objectively, it does look like Naruto has a reckless disregard for Konoha's laws, especially considering his past reputation as a notorious prankster, and avoids any punishment with clever wordplay and legal loopholes; to a certain degree that is true." Both Tsunade and Jiraiya balked at their old sensei. "Tsunade, when you left the village after the deaths of your fiancé and younger brother, what was it that turned your sadness into hate for Konoha."

Tsunade looked down, frowning sadly as old memories resurfaced. This time, though, she found she wasn't drowning in them like she used to. Memories of all the times Naruto made her laugh, or excitably waved his hands around, telling her all about something new he had read in a book contrasted her grief with happiness. "I started thinking about how everyone just sort of forgot about Dan and Nawaki's deaths. They came to the funerals and offered their condolences, but there was a war going on and the next day it was expected that I get back to business as usual. Konoha was more important than any one person, and the mission demanded one hundred percent of your devotion. I got bitter that the two people I loved more than anything else had died and everyone else just saw them as acceptable losses, or casualties of war."

Hiruzen nodded sadly, not happy to bring up such dreadful memories in one of his beloved students. "It's a good thing you were the one to adopt Naruto then."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow and looked up. "What do you mean, Sarutobi-sensei?"

"I mean that because of you, Naruto's ideals have been shaped in a way that might just see Konoha return to its former glory." He paused to allow his words to properly sink in and continued. "As it is, Konoha is no better than a village of sanctioned mercenaries. The Elemental Countries provide their Hidden Villages so much autonomy that we have had three great wars without the countries we are supposed to represent even taking part. Our shinobi are devoted to the mission, as they are told that their success means the success for their village. The people that are supposed to help me govern the village towards greatness are too steeped in tradition and corruption to propose any sort of change that may affect them in the slightest. Even this coming invasion by the Sound and Sand forces is only possible because we negotiated with the Wind Damaiyo and started to siphon money from Suna. It's this failing system that Naruto holds no loyalty for.

"Hashirama Senju started the system of Hidden Villages to bring together the warring clans within the Land of Fire. The shinobi forces would be a branch of the military that could take missions from their rulers without the nation itself being held accountable as they were technically independent contractors. The job of the leader of the shinobi village is supposed to be to decide which missions can benefit their country, bring money to the village, and therefore their country, and be held accountable for the potential political blowback of any high-class missions their ruler assigns them. Naruto holds no loyalty for Konoha, but he is loyal to me, as well as his other precious people. He will go the ends of the earth and beyond to help those close to him, and thanks to his prodigious knowledge of our legal system, he knows how to go about doing that without suffering too harsh of consequences. Alternatively, he is also acutely aware of what a shinobi is, and his duty as such. This balance between love and duty embodies what the Will of Fire truly is."

"So there is no threat of Naruto going rogue?" Jiraiya confirmed.

"Not in the sense you're thinking," Hiruzen replied. "That being said, with the amount of enemies he is making, it wouldn't take much for him to be forced from the village."

"You mentioned the council being wrought with corruption," Tsunade said. "Does that mean Naruto's investigation has discovered proof?"

"Proof of what?" Jiraiya asked.

"For the past couple months, Naruto has been going through and reading every one of Konoha's files with my permission," Hiruzen stated. "He came to me with his suspicions and seeing that I shared them, proposed that he use his shadow clones to comb through our files with a fine-toothed comb. The evidence he has so far uncovered is astounding, especially now that Konan is helping him with the non-classified files."

"So why haven't you done anything?"

"We want to wait and gather as much evidence as we can, then we're going to take our case to the Damaiyo who will sign off on the arrest warrants so that no one can argue a conflict of interest on my part."

Jiraiya sighed, impressed, and leaned back against the wall of the office he used to visit so often years ago. "So what are we going to do about Orochi-teme and his little invasion?"

*(OoO)*

Naruto sat downstairs with Anko, Konan, and Guren while Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the Hokage discussed their plans for the future.

"I can't believe that bastard plans to invade Konoha!" Anko growled as she paced back and forth in front of the couch. "I tell ya what, we should go over and find those brats from Suna and make them squeal until the Kazekage calls it off."

"That would be the definition of a bad idea," Konan said calmly from behind the book she was trying to read. It was somewhat difficult to concentrate when Naruto was leaning against her with his arm around her lower back while Guren curled up with her head on his chest. She had refused to be more than a few feet from Naruto at any time, much like how Hinata had been for the first couple days until Kurenai spoke with her in private and convinced her to continue training for the third phase of the exams.

Kurenai, Anko, and Hinata all seemed to be a tad more overt with expressing their affections to Naruto now as well, something Konan attributed to them somehow learning of Naruto being mandated to marry at least six different women in order to continue the lines of the three clans he was heir to. She had to admit to herself that she had been considering it as well. Naruto had changed her life and put her back on the proper path towards peace. He accepted her without reservation, and was a perfect mixture of kind, funny, and handsome. His unending confidence was inspiring without bordering on arrogance. Originally, she had reserves, not only because of the large age difference, but she was slightly uncomfortable with the idea of sharing him. However, those doubts were abated thanks to little moments like these where more than one of the girls yearning for his affections were together with him and he somehow managed to casually show them all equal attention without seeming distracted.

"Hasa-chan's right, Hebi-hana. We don't want to be the ones who start an international incident, especially with me having just made so many enemies on the council with that stunt I pulled with Ao-hime. Besides, Gaara is like me and Han-nii, so I don't think you're gonna be taking him against his will anytime soon."

"Like you how, Naruto-kun?" Guren asked sleepily, enjoying Naruto's warmth.

"We're both jinchuriki," Naruto informed her.

"Naruto, are you sure it's the best idea to share that information with someone you just met?" Konan asked.

"I am. Guren understands what it feels like to be shunned because of something out of your control. She's also pledged to fight by my side, so I feel she deserves to know what she's getting herself into."

"It doesn't change anything, Naruto-kun," Guren said. "You're still the one who freed me from Orochimaru's control."

Naruto smiled and squeezed her closer to himself.

"Have you figured out what you're going to do about the council yet?" Ryuda asked.

Naruto shook his head. "They won't do anything until after the exams so that gives me time to plan. Even if we remove certain members from power, it's just going to fuel certain people's feelings toward me. I need people on my side."

"Well, don't forget that you're not alone, Kitsu-kun," Anko reminded him. "You have us, as well as the Hokage. You can't get a more powerful support than the guy running things."

Naruto reached out and grabbed Anko's hand. "I'll always be grateful for having you girls by my side, and Jiji will always have my loyalty. But I need more than just him on my side. Members of the council have been subverting Jiji's authority for years, I need to put some real movers and shakers on my side."

"We'll figure it out," Konan assured him. "For now it's probably better to focus on the tournament and Orochimaru's invasion plan."

Naruto agreed and they spoke for a couple more hours before Hiruzen, Tsunade, and Jiraiya came down. They were rather tightlipped concerning their plans for Orochimaru, but Naruto could understand that there were certain things above his pay grade. It also helped him to feel less guilty when, after Jiraiya had said he would arrive early the following morning to get started on Naruto's training, Naruto waited patiently until everyone in the house was asleep to get started on his own plans.

*(OoO)*

Danzo had been sitting with a cup of tea in his office when one of his agents informed him that Naruto Uzumaki desired an audience with him and was waiting outside one of the hidden entrances to ROOT's secret headquarters. Interested in what the boy could want and how he had managed to stumble upon the location of his base, Danzo ordered his agent to escort the boy inside.

He waited patiently for several minutes until the heavy wooden doors of his office opened once again and a blindfolded Naruto Uzumaki was led inside. The agent removed the blindfold and disappeared with a bow while Naruto looked thoroughly unimpressed by the dark, barren office.

"Thank you for seeing me at such a late hour, Danzo-san," Naruto said with a bow.

"Please, take a seat, Uzumaki-san," Danzo replied, pointing at one of the two chairs across from him. "What can I do for you?"

Naruto smiled pleasantly. "I'd like for you and your ROOT agents to work for me."

Even Danzo couldn't maintain his composure upon hearing the ludicrous request, and burst out in a fit of chuckles. "That's quite the demand. Especially because my ROOT operations were disbanded by the Hokage years ago."

"Then who was it who just escorted me in here?" Naruto countered.

"I am an important member of the council," Danzo replied evenly. "It only makes sense for me to have my own ANBU guard. But suppose, hypothetically, I was still in control of my old operations. Why would I bend to the will of a boy such as yourself?"

"Because, you love the village," Naruto explained. "Jiji is right that the Will of Fire is an important principle in Konoha, and we should endeavor towards peace. However, he's wrong to not see the merit of an organization operating in the shadows. You and your hypothetical organization are just as instrumental to the village as the Hokage and the rest of the shinobi forces."

Danzo considered Naruto's words carefully. "It is good to see that the younger generations are not completely ignorant." Naruto inclined his head gratefully. "Say you did have control of me and my operations, were they still running, what would you do with them? Why not bring me before the Hokage, or your newly acquired mother? Have me arrested and hand over the reigns to them?"

"Oh, I plan to," Naruto replied simply. "Before you order your agents to slit my throat, may we speak frankly? I'm short on time, and I would like for you to understand perfectly what's happening."

"Fine, speak your mind. I'm sure your last words are bound to be interesting."

Naruto smiled. "Thank you. You're probably wondering how I found this place, right?" Danzo nodded. "Well for the past few months I've been working a sort of side mission for the Hokage."

"What kind of side mission?"

"I have been steadily reading through, analysing, and sorting through every one of Konoha's files."

Naruto smirked as Danzo's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Let me tell you, some of them make for some pretty interesting reads. It was smart of you to hide all the evidence of your operations among the mountains of paperwork the Hokage has to go through, but the paper trail paints quite the interesting picture. You're not the only one, either. There's evidence of all sorts of corruption in Konoha's upper echelons that pass right under the Hokage's nose in a sea of beaurocracy. However, you are the one who prompted the start of this investigation."

"What are you talking about?" Danzo demanded.

"When I came back from my mission in Wave, you mentioned the report of my Kunshugan manifesting. That mission report was changed to A-Rank along with the mission itself, meaning it should have been classified to everyone but the Hokage and those involved in the mission. That set me on the right path, and with my shadow clones, I was able to accomplish what a team of people could not due to the sensitivity of the mission."

"So, you plan to blackmail me?" Danzo asked. "I'll have you know boy that I won't tolerate being controlled by a _child_."

Naruto shook his head. "No, I'm still going to bring evidence of your corruption along with the other council members to the Hokage, but I'm offering you a choice: be unseated for corruption and work for me, or be executed for treason, and I'll still take control of your forces."

"If you plan to take control either way, why allow me to live?" Danzo asked. "It's the smarter move to remove me from the equation permanently."

Naruto smirked and shook his head. "You're falling into the same trap everyone else on the council has, Danzo. I expected better."

"And what trap is that, boy?" Danzo growled.

"You don't actually care about this village," Naruto replied condescecdingly. "I thought if anyone would be loyal, it would be you."

"Mind your tongue, brat!" Danzo exclaimed. "I have done nothing but make sacrifice after sacrifice for this village! You come in here spouting that old man's naïve rhetoric about peace while trying to blackmail me not five minutes later? Who do you think you are?"

Naruto was unfazed by Danzo's anger, sitting calmly in his seat even as Danzo unleashed the full power of his killing intent. He sighed and closed his eyes, when he opened them, his Kunshugan was spinning rapidly and there was a fire in his eyes. "You may have started that way, but your idea of the village is flawed. I wasn't lying when I said the Hokage was right about the Will of Fire, but thanks to you and your ilk, that Will hasn't been seen in decades. You engage in espionage and warmongering to increase Konoha's standing as well as your own, but you don't put that power towards anything but the pursuit of more. You geezers on the council only care about yourselves and don't think nearly far enough ahead. Did you know Orochimaru plans to invade? Shinobi from Oto and Suna will break down your walls and drag your people out by the hair before slitting their throats. I hold no loyalty for Konoha as it is, but my precious people live here and as such I wil defend it with my dying breath. Now, I am taking control of your ROOT forces whether you like it or not, so you can either get on board and help me run it, or I can bring the hundreds of files describing unsanctioned missions, illegal sealing, unregisterd shinobi, child abductions and abuse, conspiring against the village, illegal experimentation on human subjects, and other such treasonous acts to the Hokage and you'll be executed publicly."

Danzo's ire faded as he stared into the swirling depths of Naruto's eyes. He was forced to concede, and while he still firmly believed he had only acted in the best interest of the village, he knew when he was beaten and could respect the one who had outsmarted him.

"Fine, you have the support of me and my ROOT forces," Danzo acquiesced. "And though I don't agree with your naïve idealism, I can respect your methods and understanding for ROOT's necessity."

Naruto nodded gratefully. "Good, if that's all, I'll leave you to figure out Jiji's plans for the invasion and adjust them accordingly. Other than that, keep operating as usual with the exception of finding someway to discreetly report to me every week."

"It will be done… Naruto-sama."

Naruto smiled, his grin more fox-like then usual, and disappeared in a burst of smoke, revealing that Danzo had been speaking to a shadow clone the entire time.

 _He certainly merits observation,_ Danzo thought. _I wonder what other changes he will bring about._

*(OoO)*

The next day, Jiraiya arrived at the front gate of Naruto's home bright and early. Naruto let him and scowled when the legendary pervert's eyes wandered over the many females lounging around his house. Shino had started training with his clan, so Kurenai had come to train with Hinata in the backyard. Karin was in the kitchen preparing a meal before she went to go visit Kiba again while Shizune prepared breakfast for herself and an extremely grouchy Tsunade. Konan was stretched out on the couch, reading a book, and Guren had come down only to curl up in a plush leather chair and fall right back to sleep.

Naruto smiled at the domestic atmosphere around his house, chuckling along with the other girls when Ryusawa, who was curled up around Tsunade's feet, raised his head and growled lowly when Jiraiya's eyes lingered a moment too long on the tank top clad torso of his mother. Jiraiya immediately hurried to follow Naruto and Ryuda up to his office and grumbled once Naruto had closed the door, activating the various privacy barriers.

"Did you have to summon so many angry lizards, kid? Wouldn't you prefer my awesome toads over an armored iguana?"

Naruto smirked as Ryuda growled and got close to Jiraiya's face. He had recently modified his transformation to show off some of his more developed traits. Ryuda now stood about an inch taller than Naruto at the shoulder. From tip to tail he measured about fifteen feet, and his black armor had been resized to fit his new form and included burnt orange plates to cover his upper legs. His round snout had become slightly longer, and the horns coming out the back of his head had started to curve upwards slightly. His teeth and claws had also significantly grown, resembling wicked curved blades.

"I'd mind your tongue, human. My name is Ryuda, next boss of the Dragon Clan. Insult my clan again and the current boss won't hesitate to pay a visit to Mount Myoboku himself."

Jiraiya nodded vigorously. Dragons were creatures of myth, if they somehow existed and chose Naruto to summon them, then he wasn't about to contest that.

"Now that Ryuda's properly introduced himself," Naruto croaked. "Why don't we get down to business?"

"Fine," Jiraiya agreed. "But you have to share first."

Naruto nodded and pulled out some paper, ink, and a brush. "So you want to know how I removed Kessho-hime's seal without breaking it?"

"That's right," Jiraiya said. "I've never heard of being able to transfer seals like you did."

"Well, I first got the idea when I was reading up on the Hyuga's clan laws. I knew that Ao-hime didn't have a very good standing with them, and was afraid they would try to put the Caged Bird seal on her. I had read that the Caged Bird couldn't be broken, so I had to figure out how to remove it without killing her." Naruto dipped his brush in the ink and started drawing a series of seals on the sheet of paper. Jiraiya watched, astounded as his hand danced across the page, his brush strokes sure as they moved with a fluidity that even he didn't have.

 _I guess he lives up to the Uzumaki genes,_ Jiraiya thought, examining the different parts of the seal Naruto was drawing. "So, if I'm reading this right, you've linked a transfer seal to a tiny absorbtion seal that allows the paper to mimic the bearer of the seal's chakra signature. But how do you get the transfer to work?"

"The first step is to add a chakra circuit with foreing chakra that flows underneath the seal you're transferring, that helps convince the seal, in a way, that the paper with the bearer's signature is where it's supposed to be. After that, you still need to be able to understand and deconstruct the seal you're transferring in order to transfer it without breaking it. I spent months reading up on the Caged Bird and actually had a transformed shadow clone sneak in and watch the sealing ceremony once. The loyalty seal on Kessho-hime was simple and I had read about them before, so it didn't take much to transfer it without breaking it and notifying Orochi-teme."

Jiraiya schooled his expression and nodded seriously. "Alright, that's impressive. I'll share with you what I know about the Hiraishin, but you have to swear that you'll use it wisely and never share the details of any other seal you develop. That transfer seal alone could revolutionize the art of fuinjutsu, and not necessarily in a good way if it got out."

Naruto agreed to his newest teacher's terms and they spent the rest of the morning breaking down what they knew about the Hiraishin. The concept of being able to focus on different seals to choose which one to be transported to took Naruto some time to understand, but once he had, he found that he had the solution to his problem with his vocal seals and speaking to one person through them as opposed to everyone. He would work later with Jiraiya and Ryuda on the spacetime and summoning aspects of the seals.

After a hardy lunch where Hinata shared in vague terms what she and Kurenai had been working on for the tournament, Tsunade and Jiraiya took Naruto to Training Ground 43 to practice using Kurama's chakra.

"So, I take it from your little threat yesterday that you have some experience harnessing the Kyubi's chakra," Jiraiya surmised.

"Yeah, but dad's been resting ever since he got that Cursed Seal off me, so I haven't really felt comfortable practicing with his chakra." Naruto closed his eyes, journeying into his mindscape to see if Kurama had awoken yet while Jiraiya turned a severe eye on Tsunade.

"He considers the monster that killed his real parents his father?" He said angrily. "Why wasn't I immediately notified? The Kyubi could easily trick him into breaking the seal and letting him out!"

Tsunade scowled at the implication Jiraiya made. "And what good would that have done?"

"I'm his godfather, Tsunade! My student is the one who placed that seal on him in the first place! I'm the only one who knows enough about it to repair any damage the fox has done to it, and I'm the one with the key to it."

"You don't get to play the concerned godfather card when he hasn't seen you for thirteen years, Jiraiya. In fact, you're not going to mention it all to him until things have settled down. I might not be his _real_ mother, but he's still my son and he doesn't need you breaking his heart and distracting him when he has enemies coming out of the woodwork after him."

"Fine," Jiraiya conceded. "But I still should have been told, if anything so I could keep a closer eye on the seal in case it breaks."

"It's already broken," Naruto rasped, opening his eyes to catch the tail end of their conversation. For the first time in several weeks, he actually put his hands together to form the seal for the shadow clone technique and in an even larger burst of smoke than usual, a clone of Naruto appeared standing next to him.

"Ah, I gotta say kit, your mindscape is great and all, but there's something nice about the feel of a genuine breeze through your hair," the clone said in a noticeably deeper voice as it stretched its arms out. Upon closer inspection, Tsunade realized that the clone was an exact replica of Naruto when he was channelling Kurama's chakra, complete with red eyes, and thicker whiskers.

"Naruto, why does your clone sound like Kurama?" She asked cautiously.

"When I told dad that we were going to be practicing using his chakra he said he wanted to supervise," Naruto explained.

"Don't worry, Tsunade, you and the other human are safe," Kurama explained. "I only pumped a miniscule amount of my chakra into this clone so it could house my will." He looked down at himself and frowned in distaste. "Though I can't say I appreciate this form." Another burst of smoke and the cloned Naruto disappeared, replaced by a miniature version of the Kyubi with only one tail. It stood about as tall as Ryuda, and its tail alone was about six or seven feet long.

Tsunade and Jiraiya gaped at the miniature tailed beast while Naruto launched himself at it, burying his face in its fur. Tsunade smiled at the sight of the most fearsome of the Tailed-Beasts curling around and affectionately nuzzling her son.

"So are you permanently free?" Jiraiya asked.

Kurama shook his head. "No, this form will disperse once its chakra runs out in a few hours. Then I'll return to within my kit until he summons me again."

"And what's this about you breaking the seal Minato placed on you?"

"I needed the kit to weaken it so I could safely break it and purge the snake's chakra from his body."

"That's how I met my birth father," Naruto added.

"Moving on," Tsunade said trying to avoid another difficult conversation. "Now that your dad is here to help coach you, we were planning to start by having you infuse his chakra in some of your techniques. You'll have to up your chakra control training to perfect the powered up versions of certain ones, but for now we just want to see what you can do."

"At the moment, the kit can use about one tail's worth of my chakra without hurting himself. The problem is my chakra is wild by nature and hard to control. If you aren't careful you'll lose your ability to reason and start acting more like an animal," Kurama said.

"So what should I try first?" Naruto asked.

"Why don't you use the summoning jutsu?" Ryuda suggested. "My dad's been wanting to meet you for a while, and I bet with your dad's chakra you'll have enough power to summon him."

"That works," Jiraiya said. "We're far from the village and there's plenty of space to summon him."

Naruto nodded and took off his left glove while focusing on the tumultuous ocean of his father's chakra.

"It's going to be harder to control without me there to help," Kurama advised. "So once you've got a handle on it, just let it flow out on its own."

Naruto bit his thumb as he felt an enormous surge of energy fill him with life. It very quickly felt overwhelming, and when he opened his eyes, that strange energy in the atmosphere seemed even thicker than before. He flashed through the hand seals for the summoning technique and slammed his hand on the ground. The massive wave of energy flowed out of him in an enormous explosion of smoke and when the smoke cleared, he found himself standing on a giant black and gold metal platform. Looking around, he saw a pair of horns taller than most buildings a few hundred meters away. He quickly realised he was standing on a titanic head when the platform beneath him moved and a gust of wind nearly sent him tumbling off before Ryuda and Kurama caught him and pulled him back. Channelling chakra to his feet, Naruto looked over the edge of the platform and found himself looking into a gargantuan, green eye that was easily ten feet across. Looking down he realised that he was now easily over a kilometre in the air.

"So, you're the boy my son has chosen as his familiar," A booming voice rang out across the training ground. Naruto smiled and waved into the giant eye. There was another burst of smoke and he soon found himself much closer to the ground. The dragon was still by no means small, as its head was big enough for Naruto to lay across and not even pass its brow, but it was no longer the titan they had seen before, and when Naruto jumped down, it bowed in respect. "Well met, Naruto-dono. I am Owryudan, my son has told me much about you."

Naruto bowed while Jiraiya and Tsunade gaped at the imposing figure the dragon struck. It too wore dark armor, though the golden scales underneath already looked impenetrable to begin with. Its body glimmered and shined in the sunlight, creating the illusion that its thick, corded muscles were covered in jewels and precious metals. Teeth and claws the size of blades and spears glinted dangerously in the sunlight and hidden beneath two large, folded, metallic wings, were a pair of enormous, curved blades, strapped to its back.

"Still think your toads are better Ero-Sennin?" Ryuda asked with a smirk.

Jiraiya composed himself. "You dragons certainly look strong, but after seeing your dad, I'm even more certain that you've got a long way to go before being more than a gecko, let alone succeeding him."

Ryuda growled while Owryudan unleashed a booming laugh. "You certainly keep interesting company, Naruto-dono! Feel free to summon me should you ever wish to learn more about the Dragon Clan, or desire tutelage in our ways."

Naruto nodded, about to release the technique when his eyes widened and he started signing furiously.

 _"Owryudan-Ojisan, would you happen to know anything about the weird chakra I keep seeing everywhere?"_ Ryuda translated for him.

"What weird chakra, Naru-kun?" Tsunade asked.

 _"Everytime I activate my Kunshugan, I see this weird energy everywhere. It's almost like chakra, but not quite, and it seems to come from the trees and the earth itself. Also, it's a lot easier to see if I stay still, like when I'm using my Kunshugan's ability."_

Jiraiya's eyes widened in disbelief and he quickly bowed before Owryudan. "Owryudan-sama, I humbly request you allow me to help in instructing Naruto on this subject and that we wait until a later date when he is more experienced to fully dive into it."

Owryudan considered the request carefully before answering. "I will concede to you that he is not ready yet to delve into this subject. But I will also be the one to decide when he is. You will be allowed to sit in on his training, should you prove to be a valuable teacher and not betray Naruto's trust. Naruto-kun, you are on the right track in identifying that energy, but I urge you to not try anything with it until I deem you ready, understand?"

Naruto nodded seriously. Satisfied, Owryudan returned to his realm and Naruto, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kurama, and Ryuda went back to their training. Jiraiya showed him a technique his father had developed called the Rasengan, and set Naruto up with the first step of learning how to perform it. Tsunade and Kurama continued to drill Naruto on his chakra control while Ryuda sparred with him. They were working on figuring out Tsunade's famous strength, but with Naruto's copious amounts of chakra, even before Kurama's was added to the mix, it made control his worst subject and something he practiced constantly.

Jiraiya was more than impressed with Naruto's elemental styles and his Sharingan-proof way of moulding chakra. They spent some time together developing a few movements for when Naruto started work on his fire style, and Jiraiya helped where he could with Naruto's lightning style and using it in conjunction with the other styles. After that was done, Kurama returned inside Naruto, as the sun was getting low.

"Before we wrap up for the night, I'd like to test one last thing," Tsunade said as Naruto dispelled the hordes of clones she had been working with. "I know you said that you hadn't been able to replicate Konan or Haku's techniques before, but I'd like for you to at least try to creat ice like Haku one more time."

Naruto agreed and shut his eyes in concentration. He began flowing between the movements of his air and water styles, as the motions made it easier for him to convert his chakra into the necessary element. Applying what he had learned from analysing Guren's crystals, he used his chakra to manipulate the water particles in the air, cooling them and bringng them together to form a thin blade of ice.

Grinning he opened his eyes and examined his handiwork. He could see why Haku expended so much energy creating her ice, as there wasn't enough moisture in the air normally to form an adequate amount of ice for battle. But he did know there were certain techniques that converted chakra into water, so maybe if he could learn some of those, it would circumvent both of those problems, and once the tournament was over, he would be sure to share his findings with Haku.

*(OoO)*

Naruto soon found his time being constantly occupied. His mornings were spent discussing fuinjutsu with Jiraiya, and his afternoon saw him being put through a gauntlet of rigorous training, both mental and physical. He was quickly getting used to his increased resistance seals, and his progress in his elemental styles was increasing by leaps and bounds. He had made significant headway in understanding the Hiraishin, and had even upgraded everyone's vocal seals as well as providing them each with the one he wore on his throat so that all of his precious people had direct two-way communication with each other that wouldn't be limited by things like distance.

His skill with Eclipse had also increased, though seeing as his current kenjutsu teacher was busy training Haku, there wasn't much more he could do than refine the skills he already possessed. He didn't really plan on using his blade in the actual tournament, preferring not to bring an instrument of death to what mostly boiled down to a sporting event, but he decided to bring it with him as he knew he would need it later that day.

Danzo had come through on his weekly reports. He would provide Naruto information on the goings on inside the village as well as any relevant information outside as well. Naruto generally let him run himself, stating only that any actions that could affect other countries or villages politically be run by him first. Danzo accepted the terms, even explaining why he had ordered certain assassinations or kidnappings and how they would benefit the village. Naruto generally agreed, only refusing certain missions that either worked against the Land of Fire, or were at risk of further damaging what he had learned was a tense political atmosphere between several different Elemental Countries.

Charting the cause for the tensions was proving to be a herculean task as there were even more concerns to keep track of than there were between the Hidden Villages (whose relations between themselves was rocky at the best of times). Naruto instructed Danzo that his top priorty was doing everything he could to keep a war from breaking out, and barring that, make sure that the Land of Fire stayed out of it.

In no time at all, the month shot by, and Naruto found himself anxiously pacing outside his house the night before the tournament, unable to sleep. Tomorrow would be a day where he not only fought without restraint to move closer to his goal, but it would also be the day where he would experience his first taste of what true combat really was.

Something told him that it was going to be a day that sent ripples throughout the rest of his life.

 **A/N: Lots of political and philosophical mumbo jumbo this chapter, and unfortunately very little actual action. Hopefully you got a better look into the Naruto's relationships with a few of the other girls, and while they're completely unrealistically okay with him having a harem, I don't want that to be that brand of drama to start eating up the plot. Currently, if not underestimated, Naruto could probably go toe to toe with a low jonin level enemy, maybe higher if he's working with Ryuda and using Kurama's chakra. Though that's still not too far outside the realm of possibility as apparently the Sound Five were supposed to be jonin-level as well. Then again, ranking characters like that is pretty subjective so I'll try to avoid talking about it in the author's notes. Anyways, thanks for reading and telling me what you think. I'll see you guys next time!**


	14. Chapter 14

Naruto woke early the day of the tournament. Tsunade watched as he quietly got ready for the tournament, and the invasion. There was a calmness around him that she would have expected from a veteran of war, not a boy about to go off into his first real battle. The contrast was clear when Hinata, one of the few genin who knew of the coming invasion, joined them at the kitchen table only to anxiously move her food around her plate. Naruto noticed her anxiety and gently grabbed her hand. He smiled reassuringly and, like magic, some of the tension in the room dissipated. A knock on the door ended their little moment, and Naruto got up to greet Kurenai, Kiba, Shino, Anko, Haku, and Zabuza.

They gathered in the living room with Konan, Karin, Shizune, and Guren.

"So this is it," Kiba said once they had all found a seat. "Our first real battle." Karin squeezed his hand and smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Just remember," Zabuza said, "no hesitation."

Konan nodded. "Zabuza's right. This will be different than anything you all have faced before. War is chaos, there can be no room for mistakes."

"Just make sure to stick with me," Kurenai said. "If we're watching each other's backs, our chances of making it through this go up exponentially."

"I assume the higher-ranked shinobi have been briefed on the coming invasion?" Haku asked.

Shizune nodded. "We have increased security around the tournament and will be keeping evacuation routes clear at all times."

"Shizune will be at the hospital all day today, making sure everything is ready for the influx of injuries, and once everything is over, I'll join her when the fighting is through," Tsunade added.

"Where will you be, Tsunade-sama?" Shino asked.

"Jiraiya and I will be waiting near the observation box to back up Sarutobi-sensei, since Orochimaru will most likely be going after him himself. Naruto has set up a few of the point-to-point summoning seals that we saw near the border on our last mission so Jiraiya and I can be where we're needed most."

"That reminds me," Anko said. "If you can't find one of us, find Naruto, he'll direct you to where you need to go."

"What about Karin, Guren, and I?" Konan asked.

"I'd like you three with Shizune-neechan at the hospital, please," Naruto said. "Orochimaru doesn't know about you, and with Karin's sensory ability, you and Kessho-hime will be a great help in defending what's probably one of the biggest targets of the invasion."

Konan, Karin, and Guren nodded resolutely while Zabuza turned to Haku. "Haku, I want you to stay with Naruto no matter what, understand?"

"But Zabuza-sama, I'm your tool!" Haku objected. "I should be by your side."

Zabuza stood up and pulled Haku into a tight hug. "You're not my tool, Haku. You're my daughter in everything but blood. It took Naruto saving us for me to realize that. I'm going to be on the front lines the whole time and I want you where I know you will be safest. Please, Haku, do this for me."

Tears streamed down Haku's face as she clung to him and nodded. Naruto looked Zabuza in the eye, nodding in reply to the silent wish in his gaze.

"It's almost time for us to go," Naruto announced. "Before we do, I want all of you to know that you are my most precious people. It's thanks to you that my life has become so much better than the living hell it was before. I'll always be grateful for that, and will defend this village we call home with my dying breath if I have to."

Everyone smiled and nodded, their resolves firm as Naruto, Haku, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, and Kurenai stood and left for the arena.

"So Naruto, how do you plan on defeating your opponent?" Shino asked as they walked leisurely. The roads were still relatively empty due to the early hour, but they were getting visibly more packed as time went on and they approached the arena.

"Yeah, Lee's no pushover," Kiba added. "He kicked my ass without even trying."

"I've sparred against him a few times, so I have an idea of what to expect," Naruto said.

"Is Ryuda-kun going to be helping you?" Hinata asked.

Naruto shook his head. "Nah, he went back to his realm to inform Owryudan-ojisan of the situation here and see if he can't squeeze in some more training. Time apparently doesn't move the same there, or something."

"What about you, Hinata-chan?" Haku asked. "You're facing off against Osada from Iwa aren't you?"

Hinata nodded. "He beat both Haruno-san and Yamanaka-san at the same time in the last match of the preliminaries, so I know he won't be easy. But I feel confident that I can win."

Naruto smiled and wrapped an arm around her. "Atta girl, Ao-hime! As long as you believe in yourself, I know you'll come out on top."

"Kurotsuchi-san has told me a little about him when she would come to visit," Shino noted. "She understandably did not provide any noteworthy tactical information, but she did tell me about Osada-san's unyielding hatred for Konoha. It would be wise to try and deal with him as efficiently as possible, Hinata, for I doubt he will be inclined to show you much mercy should he get the upper hand."

"Just remember to try not to completely exhaust yourselves," Kurenai stated as they arrived at the entrance to the arena. "It's going to be a long day for everyone, and you're all going to need your energy."

The members of Team 8 nodded and went ahead with Haku while Naruto hung back with Kurenai.

"Everything changes after today, doesn't it?" Naruto asked quietly.

Kurenai nodded and looked at Naruto as he watched the various spectators arrive. He seemed so much older than his years, and she knew that he was destined for greatness. Her chest was filled with a strange mixture of pride and sadness at the idea of someone so young being burdened with so much and still considering her one of his precious people. Overcome with emotion, she turned and pulled Naruto into a tight hug.

"You better make it out of all this alive, you hear me?" She muttered into his shoulder.

Naruto smiled and reached up to run a finger through her hair while his other arm pulled her in close. "Of course I will, haven't you met me? Nothing keeps me down. Besides, I still owe you a date, don't I?" Kurenai blushed at the mention of the date and buried her head deeper into his shoulder, enjoying the smell of earth and citrus that always clung to him. "So you better make it through this too, because I'm not gonna be too happy if my first date ever ends with me getting stood up."

Kurenai couldn't help but giggle, and released her grip on him. He smiled at her and ran off to join the others while she smiled softly to herself. Naruto always knew just what to say to put her mind at ease, and it was one of her favourite traits of his. She headed into the arena and wiped the smile from her face as she nodded to one of the hidden guards and got into position.

*(OoO)*

Meanwhile on the arena floor, Naruto looked around the battlefield while the proctor of the third exam greeted the crowd and introduced the combatants. There were trees and a small pond on one end of the field while the other was littered with outcroppings of rock that varied from small to taller than him. He joined the other genin spectating as Shikamaru and Temari prepared for their fight. Looking up at the observation box, Naruto noted that it was just the Hokage and the Kazekage and sidled himself over to where Han was standing watching the battle of wits between the two strategists.

"The Tsuchikage didn't want to come see one of his own shinobi fight in the exam?" Naruto asked.

Han shook his head. "The Tsuchikage was against us coming to Konoha to participate in the exam at all, and with only one of my genin making it to the final round, he didn't deem it important enough to warrant a visit himself and will instead make his decision based off the reports and recommendations of the other observers."

"That sucks," Naruto whispered, he looked around and noticed a few other shinobi eyeing him warily and clearly listening in on their conversation. "Han-nii, there's something you should know, but you can't share it with anybody else." He shot a slightly exaggerated look at Osada and Kurotsuchi who were watching the match intently. Komuro was still in the hospital recovering from the beating Gaara laid on her, so it was only the two of them.

"What is it, Naruto?" Han asked.

"There's an organization of criminals after us, they want to use our tenants for some scheme. I think you should make sure the Tsuchikage knows about them."

"That certainly is cause for concern." Naruto saw Han's eyes flick momentarily to the eavesdroppers as he scanned the crowd. "Perhaps you should tell me more when we are in a more private setting. For now, we might as well focus on the match."

Naruto nodded and turned his gaze on the fight below as Han tapped the side of his foot with his own. Naruto felt the familiar mental pull, and the next thing he knew, he was sitting on his dad's head looking down at Han in their shared mental state.

"Now that we aren't in danger of being overheard, perhaps we can speak more openly about this organization that is after us," Han said.

Naruto nodded and jumped down off of Kurama's head. "I'm happy you got the hint, Han-nii. Because I also have a favour to ask of you."

"Share what information you have on this organization and I may just be able to help you out, Itouto."

"They go by the name Akatsuki," Naruto stated. He smirked as Han's eyes widened only for a moment. "I take it you've heard of them?"

Han nodded. "The Tsuchikage has hired them on more than one occasion to complete certain high-ranking, off the books missions. I didn't know that they were anything more than a group of mercenaries though."

"For the most part, they are. There are only a select few at the head of their ranks that are aware of their goal to capture me and my kin," Kurama replied.

"They're top ranks consist of several S-Rank missing-nin who always work in pairs," Naruto added. "At the moment they are running reconnaissance on us jinchuriki but even our informant doesn't know when that will change. Konoha has an agent on the inside, but I haven't been able to contact him yet."

"This certainly warrants investigating," Han said. "I'll have to let the Tsuchkage and the Four-Tails Jinchuriki know about this development."

"Actually, that's where the favour I was going to ask you comes in," Naruto said before adding, "well, one of them."

"What is it you would like me to do, Naruto?"

"Regardless of what the Tsuchikage decides, after you've warned the container for the Four-Tails, I need your help in delivering my warning to the other jinchuriki. Jiji doesn't want to as he would have to go through the official channels of notifying other village leaders and thinks that they wouldn't believe him. But if you and I can get a message directly to the other jinchuriki, they can better prepare themselves for the coming threat."

"That is quite the request, Naruto," Han said. "You would ask me to go against the orders of my own village to spare the lives of those from other villages?"

"You said it yourself, Han-nii, you don't care for the goings on of regular people. By that logic, you should be concerned about the group of people looking to kill you and people like you."

Han frowned thoughtfully and considered Naruto's words. "Fine, if it will help my fellow jinchuriki, I'll do it. You said this one of your requests, there are more?"

"Yeah, you remember those bandits who wanted to destroy the mansion where those meetings were taking place right?"

"I do. They planned on sacking the mansion, killing everyone, and blaming it on me."

"Well, I'd like it if you could do a little investigating. See if you can figure out who hired them. Also I'd like for you to keep an eye on the political climate, not just in Iwa, but the Land of Earth in general. Tensions are starting to rise between the Elemental Countries, and I'd like to know why."

"Why would one as young as you be so invested in the political climates of countries and villages outside your own?" Han turned around and Naruto looked up as the Gobi fazed into existence.

"So you've finally decided to join us," Kurama grunted, opening his eyes.

"Your container speaks with authority he doesn't have, Kyubi," Gobi replied.

"All due respect, Gobi-Obaasan," Naruto shouted up at her. "Why do you think I'm talking to Han-nii and not the Hokage? Something weird is going on all around us, and no one is looking into it. Of course, I could always have not told Han-nii about the people who want to rip you out of him and turn you into a super weapon."

"Come on, kit. We don't have time to argue with Gobi, it's almost time for your match."

"Right," Naruto agreed. "But before we go, you should also know that Konoha's going to be invaded today. That's who are eavesdroppers were."

"Who would invade Konoha on the day of the Chunin Exams?" Han asked.

"Orochimaru. He's the one runnin Oto and will be conducting a joint attack with Suna to try and destroy Konoha. I don't have the authority to ask for your help, but I did want to warn you so you can keep yourself and your students safe."

They faded out of the shared mindscape and Naruto found that a few matches had already taken place while they were talking. Shikamaru had apparently lost to Temari, Neji had beaten Shino (though by the looks of them it was a pretty close fight), and Hinata was already in the process of fighting Osada.

"How are they doing?" Naruto asked Kurotsuchi who was still seated in front of him and Han but was now joined by Shino.

"It's been close," Kurotsuchi said. "Osada's a tank and dealt some heavy blows, but I think Hinata's wearing him down."

Hinata dodged another earth-shaking blow from Osada. She could feel that at least two of her ribs were fractured, and blood leaked down her face from where Osada had managed to graze her forehead. He had shed his thick robes at the beginning of the match to reveal that he was almost entirely made of thick compacted muscle. She knew that the odds were that he was much slower than her, but it would only take a few hits from him to put her in a rather precarious position. She had opened by drawing her bow, hoping to keep him at a distance and conserve her energy, but Osada had apparently planned for this and showed off his own bloodline. The moment she had sent an arrow flying his way, she watched through her Byakugan as he focused his chakra. His skin darkened as it became hard, and the arrow glanced off of him with a ding that told her he had somehow turned his skin into some sort of metal.

This forced Hinata to revert to close combat, but his metal skin proved difficult for her modified Gentle Fist to affect. It seemed that is chakra was spreading out of his pathways and coating his skin before converting it to metal, making it almost impossibl for Hinata to see his tenketsu, let alone close them. To make matters worse, Osada was deceptively fast with his bloodline activated. He snarled as his fists rocketed after her, leaving craters in anything they hit.

The only advantage Hinata had was Osada seemed incapable of using jutsu while his bloodline was activated. He would occasionally lower it momentarily to throw an assortment of earth techniques her way, but he always made sure she was too far away to capitalize on the momentary drop in his defences.

"You should just give up, tree-hugger!" Osada shouted as he chased after her. "You can't hurt me and you can't run forever!"

Hinata rolled her eyes when she had an idea. Turning on a dime, she channeled as much chakra into her hands as she could and sprinted back towards Osada. Grinning, Osada reared his fist back, ready to pound her into a smear on the ground when Hinata bent back in a display of flexibility, the metal arm pssing harmlessly over her face, and slid to her knees.

Her momentum kept her moving and she ignored the burning pain of the ground beneath her scraping her knees as she delivered a sharp blow to each of Osada's knees before grabbing his ankles and pulling as she shot up behind him. Still off balance from his earlier punch and the blows to his knees, Osada fell to the ground. He deactivated his bloodline and created several earth spikes to make Hinata release his ankles. Once he was free he leapt away and landed on the surface of the small pond while Hinata was in hot pursuit.

Coming to a stop several feet away from him also on the surface of the water, Hinata couldn't help but smile. "There's no earth here for you to attack me with," she noted.

Osada scoffed. "Like I'll need it to beat you into a paste. You can hardly touch me when my Iron Skin Technique is active and it'll only take one good hit for you to be down for the count."

Hinata watched as he channeled his chakra and smirked when the second his skin hardened he sank below the water with an undignified yelp. By the time he had deactivated his bloodline and swam to the surface, she was already standing over him.

"Your Iron skin made it difficult to see your chakra pathways," Hinata explained. "But the second you deactivated it to free yourself, I closed only enough tenketsu on your ankles to disrupt your chakra control. Without it, you can't stand on the water and keep your Iron Skin activated. I suggest you concede before I have to injure you further to win the match."

Osada snarled and lowered his head in defeat. "I forfeit," he growled.

The crowd cheered at the conclusion of the exciting match and Hinata smiled as she made her way back up the stands. Her face burned crimson when she arrived and Naruto scooped her up into his arms and spun her around. "I knew you could do it." He whispered into her hair. Hinata smiled and buried her head in his shoulder while Naruto turned to Osada with a grin. "That was a really good fight, Osada. You did great!"

Osada looked incredulous for a moment before his usual scowl returned and he scoffed before walking away.

"The next match will be between Naruto Uzumaki and Rock Lee!" Hayate announced.

Naruto put Hinata down and gave her one last smile before making his way down the stairs to the field. He dropped into his fighting stance as Hayate asked if they were ready. He and Lee both nodded and an instant later they rocketed towards each other in an explosion of motion. Naruto stuck mostly to his wind and water styles as he danced around Lee. His opponent outclassed him when it came to every aspect of taijutsu without him removing his restriction seals, but he was trying to conserve his energy and not show off too much before the invasion.

Jumping back, Naruto created dozens of shadow clones, smirking internally at the gasps from several people in the crowd. Not only was he showing off his massive chakra reserves by creating so many shadow clones, but he had spent so much time drilling his chakra control with his mom that his shadow clones now simply phased into existence without the usual pop and burst of smoke due to excess chakra.

Lee grunted as he fought off clone after clone. "I see you are not going to take it easy on me, Naruto-san. I sppreciate that, and in return, I too will not restrict myself." Jumping away, Lee landed on top of a nearby tree and reached down to pull off the weights around his legs. Naruto quirked an eyebrow, curious, before Lee dropped the weights and they crashed into the ground with a loud explosion. If he hadn't been spending the past few months sparring with Sannin, Naruto would have been taken out in an instant as Lee moved faster than most people could follow.

Huffing, Naruto dodged yet another earth-rending kick and created more clones to shuffle himself around with. He had discretely lowered the level on his restriction seals to keep pace with Lee, but it had the disadvantage of making him faster than his clones, meaning Lee could figure out which one was the original. Lee tore through the clones as they worked to slow him down while Naruto danced around the crowd trying to lose him. Time went on and Lee was starting to noticeably slow down as he destroyed more and more clones while Naruto would dance around and strike when ever he saw an opening.

Eventually, Naruto was back to being alone as Lee had destroyed well over sixty clones by now and was panting heavily. Naruto flipped over his opponent as Lee fired another kick his way, and drove his feet down into Lee's back as he passed over him. Lee smashed into the ground face first, his nose bleeding as he tried to stand. His arms shook and his frame quivered, but try as he might, Lee couldn't even get to his knees without collapsing. He contemplating opening the first gate, but he knew that if he did in his current condition, he'd wind up hospitalizing himself just to win the match. Crying out, he collapsed once more to the ground while the proctor announced Naruto's victory.

Naruto walked over to Lee's prone form and grinned as he formed a hand seal. Instantly Lee felt like better and accepted Naruto's offered hand to help him to his feet.

"W-what did you do to me, Naruto-san?" Lee asked as they walked up the stairs together amid some cheers at their good sportsmanship.

"Each of the clones you destroyed put a restriction seal on you," Naruto croaked quietly when they took their seats. "Every time you destroyed one, your chakra and movements would be restricted slightly. I use them instead of training weights, and I didn't want to hurt you if I didn't have to."

They took their seats and watched as the proctor called for the next match.

"The next match will be between Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara of The Desert!"

The crowd erupted in roars of approval as the match they had all come to see started. Naruto rolled his eyes at the overenthusiasm of the spectators but smiled when Hinata, Shino, Haku, Kiba, Kurotsuchi, and even Tenten –who still looked extremely uncomfortable being around Han and the other Iwa genin –came over to congratulate him on his decisive victory.

He watched with a frown as Sasuke dodged Gaara's increasingly manic attacks while peppering him with what were surely nothing more than annoyances. He noticed Han tense next to him when Gaara encircled himself in sand, and scowled as Sasuke's hand was sheathed in lightning. That was Kakashi's chidori. Why would Kakashi teach one of the shinobi the most hellbent on revenge such a high-level assassination technique?

 _Get ready, Kit,_ Kurama advised as Sasuke charged the sphere of sand. His hand plunged through the sand and an ear splitting shriek split the air as Gaara bled for the first time in his life. _The red-haired one has started drawing on more and more of Shukaku's chakra._

The crowd gasped at the sight of Gaara's newly deformed visage. Sand covered half of his face and down to his left arm, taking a monstrous form. His eyes had changed colour and his voice barely sounded human as he screamed for Sasuke's death before crashing through the wall of the arena and into the surrounding forests. Sasuke followed in hot pursuit and Naruto groaned as that was just another thing to worry about, even as the feathers drifted down over the crowd lulling them to sleep.

He quickly broke the illusion and made sure those around him had and jumped to the roof of the arena as chaos erupted.

He had never seen anything like it. With the Hokage trapped inside Orochimaru's barrier, not even Tsunade or Jiraiya could break through to help him. Meanwhile the sound of several massive summons appearing and destroying a section of Konoha's walls drew his attention while the sounds of fighting and dying all around him just made him want to check to make sure that his precious people were okay. There was too much going on for him to focus on all at once. He didn't know what to do.

 _Take a deep breath, Kit,_ Kurama whispered. _Just hold still and think._

Nodding, Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then another. Opening his eyes he channeled his chakra into them and activated his Kunshugan. Time froze and everything was silent as he looked around. He took several more deep breaths as he observed everything before him and when he finally deactivated his ability, his resolve was no longer shaken. Creating several clones he began dishing out instructions, his Kunshugan burning.

"Hinata, Shino, Kiba, you three take a clone to find Kurenai, from there you will see if she has any standing orders."

The members of Team 8 nodded and took off with one of his clones. Naruto turned toward the giant purple barrier and activated his vocal seal. "Jiraiya, I'm gonna send a reinforced clone to you. Take him to deal with those summons. Mom, another clone is headed your way with Han-nii and his students to help you take down the barrier so you can get in there and help out Hokage-sama. Once the barrier is down, Jiraiya you should get back to help Mom and leave your toads to fight the snakes. My clone will try to summon as many dragons as he can to help out too."

He received affirmatives and turned back to face Han. "When you're done, follow Haku and I into the forest, we're going after Gaara and could use all the support we can get."

Han nodded and without another word they all sprang into action to defend The Village Hidden In The Leaves.

 **A/N: Alright a short chapter before the invasion begins. Once again I skipped what would have otherwise been a chapters worth of fights because I don't like having really long, anime-style fights be novelized due to the fact that you can take like five thousand words worth of story and only advance the plot a little. Also, realistically, just because they have super powers doesn't mean that their fights would be that much longer. A fight usually doesn't last more than a few minutes, so I try to make them interesting and involve these crazy abilities without bogging down the story with giant one hour fights. Anyway, the invasion is next chapter so look forward to that, and after that is where we really start diverting from canon as some of the background things that have been hinted at begin to pick up steam. Lastly, thanks again for reading and your fantastic reviews that help to inspire me to keep on writing, and I'll see you next time!**


	15. Chapter 15

Kurenai grunted as she drove her tanto into the neck of an Oto kunoichi only for her to be replaced by another shinobi from Suna. Her guard position had been quickly overrun as the enemy capitalized on their genjutsu putting more than a few of the chunin to sleep along with the civilians around them. She almost sighed with relief when an arrow wizzed by her ear to impale itself in the throat of another Oto shinobi.

"Kurenai-sensei!" Kiba called. He and Akamaru took off, drilling through two more opponents and landing next to her. Shino threw several kunai at another while his insects sent three more to their knees. The members of Team 8 grouped around each other, ready to face the coming onslaught when a blond blur wizzed by and they watched as Naruto created several powerful gusts of wind, throwing the enemy forces together before switching stances and collapsing a part of the ceiling down on them.

"Naruto-kun! What are you doing here?"

"I'm just a clone," Naruto replied. "I came with your team to meet up with you and help with any standing orders."

Kurenai nodded and turned to her team. "Our first priority is the civilians, make sure they are protected and try to wake up as many of your comrades as you can. When the rest of the chunin guard has woken up, we'll head to the village to see where we can be most useful."

The genin nodded and went to work as a fresh wave of enemy forces came running down the hall. They fought fiercely with the help of Naruto's clone waking up the rest of the chunin on the ground. When the remaining forces of the guard awoke, Kurenai repeated her orders and, together with her team, took off for the village proper.

*(OoO)*

Anko grinned and hurled a kunai at the throat of another Suna shinobi while Ryuki, the dragon who had been hanging around her for the past month, held off several others. Her grin widened when the shinobi dodged her kunai and it sailed by, hitting one of the massive snakes her former teacher had summoned in the eye. The snake shrugged off the blow, but turned its attention on her nonetheless and reared back to strike. She jumped away at the last second, and the massive head crashed into the ground, crushing the enemy surrounding her.

She landed on a nearby rooftop and looked out toward the breach in the wall that she was defending. Part of her wondered how Orochimaru had amassed so many forces, and how long he had been planning this for. Her smile faded as she watched the enemy forces flood the streets while the giant serpents wreaked havoc wherever they went. Her squad was spread far too thin, and morale had been dropping steadily since that giant purple barrier trapped the Hokage. They needed something big to help turn the tide or they would be overwhelmed and the Oto forces would penetrate deeper and deeper within the village.

As if in response to her silent plea for help, she heard two simultaneous shouts from far off, and the streets filled with smoke. Giant toads appeared and started holding off the snakes, indicating Jiraiya had come to help them. What surprised everyone was the dozens of armored lizards that charged through the streets, tearing through the enemy with teeth and claws and blades.

"How are things going?"

Anko turned her head and felt more hopeful when she saw Naruto standing behind her with Ryuda crouching next to him, his full size on display. "Better now that you're here. With Jiraiya's toads and your dragons we might be able to hold them off and keep them from gaining much more ground."

Ryuki bowed her head in greeting.

"Naruto-sama, Ryuda-sama, what are your orders?"

Ryuda's voice had gotten deeper since he had first been summoned months ago, and Ryuki was proud to hear the authoritative tone he had adopted. "Stay the course and continue to protect your charge. My father has provided several of his own infantry-class soldiers to help the humans, and elemental dragons will provide their own assistance if he deems it necessary."

Naruto nodded his agreement, watching as the Konoha forces gained their second wind seeing the contingent of large, armored dragons were on their side while Jiraiya's toads curtailed the threat of being crushed by the giant snakes. "Let's get to work. The faster we rout the enemy, the faster I can treat you to a nice plate of dango."

"Violence and great food?" Anko swooned comically even as they jumped down and she shoved another kunai into the back of an enemy kunoichi. "You really do know the way to a girl's heart, don't you, Kitsu-kun?"

*(OoO)*

Tsunade scowled as she stood before the giant barrier separating her from her old sensei and teammate. Jiraiya had reappeared a moment ago and was still trying to figure out a way to break through the barrier without being incinerated like the foolish ANBU operative who had tried earlier. They had been dismissed to join in defending Konoha, so it was just her and Jiraiya when Naruto's clone arrived with Han and his student.

"Any luck?" Naruto asked.

Tsunade shook her head while Jiraiya leaned back and sighed in frustration. "The problem is the barrier is layered, protecting the four goons holding it up."

"I dunno why you guys even try!" They looked towards the nearest corner of the barrier where one of the shinobi holding it up was grinning. "You're never gonna get through this barrier. Your Hokage is as good as dead."

"You really shouldn't listen to everything Orochi-teme says," Jiraiya shot back. "Even now, Sarutobi-sensei can easily take him."

"Maybe, but I doubt even the God of Shinobi can take on his old student while also fighting his two predecessors!"

Jiraiya's eyes widened in outrage. "That sick bastard! He reincarnated the First and Second!"

"We need to get in there," Tsunade stated. "If Orochimaru has used my geat-uncle's technique to reincarnate him and my grandfather, Sarutobi-sensei needs all the help he can get." She felt the small pulse of chakra indicating Naruto was analyzing the barrier with his dojutsu and watched as a moment later her son walked up to the man holding up the barrier.

He took a deep breath and started moving in a style different from his usual three styles. This one was comprised of several powerful punches and kicks. He kept his breathing steady and before long was shooting plumes of fire at the barrier around the man kneeling in front of him.

"You some kind of idiot or something?" The girl shouted. "Your techniques aren't going to penetrate this barrier."

"Maybe not," Naruto croaked. "But we can see and hear each other, that means light and sound can penetrate the barrier around you. My attacks might not get through the barrier, but the light and heat from the fire can. Now, seeing as you can't move without disrupting the barrier, why don't you just sit tight while we slow roast you?"

He resumed dousing the corner of the barrier in flames, and with the help of Han, Kurotsuchi, and Jiraiya it took no more than a couple minutes before the Oto kunoichi's screaming died down and she collapsed from heat exhaustion. The barrier faded, and they found themselves looking up at a thick mass of tangled trees while the explosive sounds of combat rang from within. Jiraiya and Tsunade wasted no time in jumping into the dense foliage just as another Oto shinobi arrived to replace his fallen comrade and restore the barrier around them.

Naruto created and dispelled another clone to transfer information to the original as well as the other clones, and turned to Han and Kurotsuchi as the barrier shot back up. "Han-nii, follow my original into the forest, I'll take Kurotsuchi to the hospital to meet up with Osada and help in defending it."

Han nodded and took off while his student and the clone of his surrogate brother raced in the opposite direction. He pumped his chakra into his legs, steam rising from the furnace on his back as he moved as fast as he could through the thick forest surrounding Konoha. He passed by the boy from Suna who used puppets, his puppet frozen to a tree whil he lay on the ground with various senbon sticking out of his back. A loud shriek from the clearing just ahead of him drew his attention, and he pushed himself harder.

He arrived in the clearing and watched as Naruto dodged a massive claw made of sand while his teammate engaged the girl with the giant fan. The Uchiha and his teammates were lying on the ground beneath Han, unconscious, and Haku was forced to divert her attention between fighting her opponent and guarding them from both Temari and the collateral damage of Naruto and Gaara's fight.

Gaara shrieked and more sand covered his body. He looked even more like a miniature version of Shukakku now with everything but his right leg and the area around his eye and tattoo submerged in sand that was covered in dark blue markings.

Naruto channeled his wind chakra through Eclipse and swung ferociously as dozens of shuriken made of sand eurupted out of one of Gaara's arms. He smiled when he saw Han appear over Gaara and deliver a mighty, steam powered kick to the top of his head, sending him crashing down to the ground. Red chakra bubbled out from between his armor and his furnace chugged as it mixed with the steam around him.

"Mother will have your blood, Uzumaki!" Gaara shouted. "I will kill you and prove that I exist!"

Sand shot out of his arm and Temari only just jumped clear as it rocketed through where she had just been standing and slammed into Haku, crushing her into a nearby tree.

"Haku!" Naruto cried. He snarled and leapt down, flames shooting out of his fists as he fell. The fire cloaked Gaara's extended arm, and he wailed as the sand crystalized. He smashed into the glass with his right arm and shattered it, freeing Haku whil Han jumped down and kicked punched him through several trees.

Temari wound her fan back, trying to capitolize on the opening Gaara made. She poured her chakra through the fan and swung it, creating gale-force winds that tore up the ground and threw several red hot shards of glass at her opponents. Naruto and Haku dodged, the tree behind them igniting as the glass burned a hole through it.

"Go," Haku said. "I'm fine, you need to go figure out how to stop a crazy sand monster from destroying the village without burning it down." As if to prove her point, there was a flash of fire and a monstrous roar coming from deeper in the forest.

Naruto nodded and took off after Han. Gaara seemed to be on the defensive as shards of molten glass dripped off his body and he dodged another fireball from Han.

"If this keeps up we'll wind up starting a forest fire before we stop him," Han noted.

Naruto grunted and channeled his water chakra through Eclipse, sending a torrent of crescent-shaped chakra blades to counter the stream of sand rushing towards them.

 _You need to figure out how to contain him,_ Kurama advised, pumping his chakra into Naruto as Gaara's tail sent him rocketing into a tree, fracturing several ribs.

 _How were you contained when you would rampage?_

 _The Uchiha used the Sharingan to control me, and your mother had a special chakra that created chains to restrain me. You don't have access to either of those, but if our theory about your control over different elements is correct…_

 _The wood release!_ Naruto exclaimed. _That's how great-granddad restrained you before sealing you in his wife, right? Good thing my clone saw those trees with its Kunshugan._

 _Be careful, Kit. The Mokuton isn't an easy thing to control and requires a lot of chakra. I can't help you with it easier as it supresses my chakra._

Naruto nodded and turned to Han. "Keep him busy, I might have a way to contain him."

Han grunted and leapt toward Gaara, forcing his steam into the claw of sand shooting towards him. The steam saturated the sand, slowing it down enough for Han to dodge around it and deliver a steam-powered kick into Gaara's stomach.

Naruto activated his Kunshugan, ignoring the prickling sensation and dropped into an earth stance, his knees bent and feet shoulder-width apart. He kept his torso loose and started to sway and flow through different water style moves. He watched his chakra change as he moved, the earth and water natures fighting him slightly as they swirled together. Eventually they mixed, and Naruto directed the mixture into the ground. The real difficulty was at the start as his chakra fought against his desire to create. Finally, with a grunt of effort, he manage to make the sapling take root. It was like a dam had just burst and Naruto's chakra easily flowed into the sapling, making its roots spread out while it grew and burst from the ground. The challenge now was controlling its growth along with the other saplings shooting out of the soil. He noted that the strange energy he had been seeing seemed to be fighting him as it tried to invade the saplings and take over their growth and he grunted as he worked to repel it while directing the rapid growth of the trees before him.

The trees grew and contorted with a speed and fluidity that contradicted their usual slow unyielding nature. He directed the branches up, just as Han –who was now surrounded by the bubbling red chakra while a tail of pure chakra swayed behind him –smashed another devastating axe-kick into the top of Gaara's head. The miniature tailed-beast crashed into the ground and roared as Naruto's trees started to wind around him, pinning him to the ground. Naruto could feel his chakra now struggling against the omnipresent energy and Shukakku's chakra as it leeched into the wood, prompting rapid, uncontrolled growth.

The sand slowly receded, revealing more and more of the boy beneath the demon as he struggled against his bindings.

"No! I will not die here! I will give mother blood! I WILL PROVE MY EXISTANCE!"

The trees cracked and shattered as more and more sand covered Gaara and grew to titanic heights. The sand started to take shape and blew markings spread across it as the monstrous form of Shukakku, The One-Tailed Tanuki roared. Gaara put his hands together and before Naruto or Han could do anything, he fell asleep, releasing the beast.

"FREE! I'M FREE! HAHAHAHAAHA!"

*(OoO)*

"It seems the One-Tail has finally been released," Orochimaru observed, bending back unnaturally to dodge a punch from Tsunade while snapping a leg up to kick her in the chin.

"Tobirama, this jutsu of yours is terrible," a reincarnated Hashirama Senju remarked as he created another tree to dodge Jiraiya's Rasengan. "I told you not to develop it."

"I'm more than aware of the mistake I have made, Brother," Tobirama replied stoically. He created a thin stream of water that grazed Hiruzen's shoulder before slicing through a tree behind him. Hiruzen grunted and shifted his staff to block a slash from Orochimaru's Kusanagi.

"Don't worry, grandfather, great-uncle, Konoha will not fall today," Tsunade said as she landed next to Hiruzen and Jiraiya. "My son is out there defending it with everything he has."

Hashirama smiled even as he charged at his granddaughter. "I'm glad to hear that you have found a family, Tsu-hime."

"You three cannot afford to come at us with anything less than the hardest you can," Tobirama stated. "For the sake of Konoha, hold nothing back."

"Tsunade, Jiraiya, buy me some time," Hiruzen ordered. "I'm going to end this."

Tsunade and Jiraiya nodded. Tsunade made a hand seal and channeled her chakra to the seal on her forehead while Jiraiya bit his thumbs and performed the summoning jutsu. Two small, elderly toads appeared before him, not even uttering a word as the jumped onto the scroll on his back and bonded themselves to him. Black markings traced their way down Tsunade's face, away from her seal, and wound around her body, while the markings on Jiraiya's face expanded covering his eyes and curved down, his nose grew and several warts appeared around it as a goatee grew down from his chin.

"I really don't like using this in front of others," Jiraiya noted, revealing his teeth had become pointed as he flexed a webbed hand and bounced on webbed feet. "It usually scares away the ladies. But, just this once, I'll use it to protect my home."

They shot off at remarkable speed and Hiruzen couldn't help but smile at how far his students had come from the cute little kids he had been assigned to train. He cycled through hand seal after and seal and grunted in exhaustion as he felt the drain on his chakra. He was covered in cuts and bruises, and he could tell that several ribs were broken along with a fractured collarbone. He finished on the last seal and his giant golem made of earth rose up behind him. Tsunade shrugged off Tobirama stabbing her with a blade made of water and punched him as hard as she could, sending him rocketing towards the trees. Jiraiya seemed to have the same idea, as his powerful senjutsu techniques forced her grandfather back, his trees no match for Jiraiya's nature-energy enhanced rasengan. Hiruzen's golem groaned as it stormed towards Orochimaru, but she ignored it in favour of keeping up the assault on the Second Hokage. She barreled into him, crashing through several more trees, and flipped in the air, holding him tight as he drove two more water blades through her back. She realeased him at the apex of her spin, and there was a pulse as his body broke the sound barrier from the force of her throw. Tobirama rocketed through the trees and came out on the other side of his brother's synthetic forest before continuing into the side of the barrier. The barrier reacted just as Tsunade hoped it would, incinerating her great-uncle's legs upon contact before he managed to get away. She could see him regenerating already, and broke off a massive log from a nearby tree. Tsunade allowed the sadness on her face to show as she impaled him through the torso onto the ground, keeping him pinned even after he regenerated. "I'm sorry I had to do this."

"Don't be," Tobirama replied. "I am the one who created this abomination of a jutsu, and your old teammate is the one who used it. Do not apologize for protecting what is precious to you."

Orochimaru cursed as Jiraiya sent Hashirama flying. While his old teammates and sensei wouldn't have stood a chance against the First and Second were they alive, his reincarnations could only fight at a fraction of the power they had when alive. He dodged another blow from Hiruzen's golem and swung Kusanagi, separating its arm from its torso, only for the arm to reform itself. Jiraiya created another massive Rasengan with one hand, while biting the thumb of the other. He spun around a tree winding its way toward him, and shattered another with his fist, his still slightly uncontrolled nature energy forcing it to sprout branches and leaves as Hashirama lost control of it.

"That's a brilliant idea, using those two toads to gather natural energy for you," Hashirama noted. "And without being able to enter Sage Mode myself, you can take away my control over my Mokuton."

"It means a lot being praised by you, Hashirama-sama," Jiraiya said. He flipped over another branch, slamming his hand into the ground while driving his enlarged Rasengan into the First Hokage's stomach. Hashirama's lower half was shredded and he was sent flying. Instead of hitting one of his trees, though, he crashed into a soft, fleshy wall of pink. "And I'm sorry that you have to be sealed inside a toad's stomach until Orochi-teme releases his technique. But I won't allow you to destroy what you've worked so hard to build, especially when Konoha is on the cusp of the greatness you dreamed for it."

"Thank you, Jiraiya-san. It means more than you can know that the village is headed towards peace and prosperity."

"The road is still long, even now," Jiraiya replied. "But, I believe that it can be traveled."

*(OoO)*

 _How the hell am I supposed to fight a Tailed-Beast?_ Naruto thought furiously as he sprang from tree branch to tree branch. Han had been taken out of commission relatively quickly when he tried to use a powerful fire jutsu to turn Shukaku into glass. It had been partially successful, melting and solidifying one of the beasts fore paws, but that just made Shukaku angrier. It swiped at Han with its glass paw, sending him careening over the trees, and shattered the red hot appendage on the ground before creating a new one by crushing the earth beneath it into sand and reconstructing itself. Naruto had taken the time it took for Shukaku to repair itself to douse the molten glass is in water to prevent any nearby trees from igniting, and was now moving as fast as he could, leading the monster farther away from the village. His eyes prickled while his arm and his sword seemed to vibrate, as if they were all trying to answer his question.

"Of course!" Naruto cried. "Dad, I'm going to need a ton of chakra!"

"Oh little Kyubi! Come and play!" Shukaku chanted. A mass of sand shot up out of the ground, and Naruto released the last of his restriction seals to avoid it. Even then it grazed his right side, tearing apart his hoodie and sending him tumbling into another clearing. "HAHAHA! This is great! As long as you're trapped in that tiny human, you can't do anything!"

Naruto rolled to a stop and sprang to his feet just in time to dodge a giant sand claw. He plasted it away with a gust of air, and used the force to propel him into the trees while taking off his other glove. He felt Kurama's chakra flood through him and forced out as quickly as the fox could supply it.

"SUMMONING JUTSU"

*(OoO)*

Jiraiya transported himself out of the toad's stomach and was surprised to find the barrier down and Orochimaru nowhere to be seen. Tsunade was kneeling on the ground over Hiruzen and Jiraiya sprinted over to them when he noticed the bloody stump just below his sensel's right knee.

"Orochimaru knicked him with Kusanagi before he ran away. He consented to the amputation to keep the poison from spreading, but the pain from that and the cauterizing was too much and he's gone into shock," Tsunade informed him. She stiffened as Shukaku roared and a massive gust of wind sweapt over them. "You need to get over there, Naruto and Han are going to need your help. Another Tailed-Beast rampaging through Konoha is the last thing we need."

Jiraiya nodded, cursing Orochimaru and his cowardice internally, and prepared to hurry towards what was most likely a suicide mission, even for him, when clouds gathered out of nowhere in the sky, shrouding the village and surrounding area in darkness and making him halt so he could figure out what else he'd be running into. Shukaku shrieked, its manic shouting audible even from miles away, but even it froze when an ear-splitting roar echoed over Konoha in response and the sky opened up.

*(OoO)*

Kurenai ducked behind a wall of crystal as several shuriken soared overhead. She and her team had arrived at the hospital to find Konan and Guren defending the front entrance while several injured shinobi lay behind them. Naruto had immediately taken off to assist them, his pale green crystals joining Guren's pink as they hurled projectiles, erected cover, and imprisoned the enemy forces. Konan took Hinata to the roof where Karin was sitting as she relayed enemy locations with her sensory abilities. Pretty soon, arrows and paper shuriken rained down from the building while small butterflies floated amongst the bulk of the Sound and Sand forces, exploding once they reached the point where Konan thought they could deal the most damage.

Things started to improve when a few of Naruto's dragons joined the fight as well, helping Kurenai and her students push the enemy back and away from the hospital. She looked over to Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino who were crouching behind the ruins of a nearby store that had been destroyed in the first wave of the attack and took note of the various cuts and scrapes covering her students. The flow of battle had slowed, and when the sky darkened and a roar echoed through the air, it stopped as attacker and defender alike turned to watch the coming events unfold.

*(OoO)*

Anko couldn't help but smile at how well she and Naruto worked together to take out the oncoming enemy. With the giant snakes occupied by Jiraiya's toads, and Naruto's dragons routing the majority of the incoming forces, only the strong ones made it through to them, one or two at a time. She had almost felt like she was dancing with him as they read and followed each other's movements. Water, wind, earth, and fire hit their enemies at a distance while Anko took advantage of the openings to deliver the final blow. It was a match made in heaven.

There had been one terrifying moment when a large, muscular woman dressed in thick armor had shrugged off their attacks before raising her hand in a gesture that Anko knew all too well. She had closed her eyes in anticipation of the waves of stabbing pain to emit from the seal on her neck, but all she felt was a light tingle as the protective seal Naruto had placed over until he could devise a way to remove it kept their opponent from using her vulnerability against her. Anko had opened her eyes in relief to watch Naruto angrily imaple the woman through the jaw with a long, pointed crystal. Pale green crystals then sprang up all around her, imprisoning her before, to Anko's surprise, wood burst out of the ground and wrapped around it, squeezing until the cage cracked and shattered, the woman along with it.

She had turned when she heard the shrieking of the One-Tail and watched as the clouds blotted out the afternoon sun.

"What the hell was that?" Anko asked as the great roar continued to echo through the village.

"The boss summoned some backup to help deal with Shukaku," Naruto replied.

Ryudan smirked and tore through another Sound shinobi with his teeth. "Let's hurry up and finish these goons, I definitely don't want to miss this."

 **A/N: As promised, the invasion is here. The next chapter will have the thrilling conclusion to it as well as maybe some insight into the other girls' perspectives. Other than that, I hope you liked it and leave a review telling me what you think.**


	16. Chapter 16

Naruto had to cover his ears as thunder shook the earth beneath him. Bright flashes in the clouds highlighted the silhouetted form as it descended from the parting clouds. He watched as the titanic dragon descended from the sky and roared once more.

It was nowhere near the size of Owryudan, but its head was probably bigger than Kurama's and the rest of its winding form constantly moved making it hard to tell just how long it really was. It was covered in ornate, blue scales that glowed with the electricity coursing between them. Its head was adorned with a blue, metal helmet that covered its upper jaw and flared past the back of its head in a multitude of jagged spikes. There was a long, lightning shaped horn sprouting out of the end of its snout and two more framed its jaw, reminiscent of massive, jagged tusks. There were no wings that Naruto could see, but the dragon did have at least eight legs (it was hard to tell with the constant movement), around each leg and at different intervals along its body, giant gold and silver semicircles floated, spikes protruding out along the outsides and acting as lightning rods.

Naruto did a quick shunshin up to the dragon's head and kneeled down to press his right hand to its forehead.

 _Hi! My name's Naruto, I'm the one who summoned you._

The dragon roared as Shukaku seemed to regain its senses. "You think I'm gonna let some giant lizard stop me? I'M FREE AND I'M GONNA STAY THAT WAY!" Shukaku opened its mouth and fired a massive blast of compressed air while sand shot out of its body.

 _So you're the brat who Ameterasu-sama gave our contract to,_ the dragon replied. _Tell me, summonner, why would you summon me, Ryusanda, the embodiment of lightning to stave off a creature that attacks with wind? Do you not know that wind techniques are advantageous against the Raiton?_

 _I did,_ Naruto replied, pumping chakra into his feet to stay in place as Ryusanda slithered through the air to avoid Shukaku's attack. _But Shukaku is made of sand and your lightning should be able to destabilize him without too much collateral damage. Plus I summoned the strongest lightning dragon I could so that his wind attacks could be overpowered, but if you need to, I can handle those._

Ryusanda roared in laughter for a minute before launching a beam of electricity at Shukaku, penetrating right through its chest. _You know, I know you're playing me, but you're right. Your quick thinking has earned my respect, Naruto. I and my lightning dragons will fight for you._

Naruto nodded. _Gaara used a technique to put himself to sleep and release the One-Tail. If you can get me close enough to wake him up, it should be forced back into its seal without too much trouble._

 _Consider it done, and release the One-Tail. If you can get me close enough to wake him up, it should be forced back into its seal without too much trouble._

 _Consider it done,_ Ryusanda replied. He roared viciously, the thundering sound shaking the trees below and dove straight for Shukaku. Shukaku tried to keep them back with massive blasts of air and sand, but Ryusanda easily overpowered the attacks while lightning arced from the rods around his body, neutralizing Shukaku's sand attacks.

They traded attacks back and forth, massive blasts of wind and lightning leveling the surrounding forest. Shukaku seemed determined to keep them away, but Naruto helped and pumped as much of Kurama's chakra through Eclipse as he could, creating torrents of black crescents to help shield them from the sand.

 _I can hold him down and prevent him from attacking the village, Naruto, but you're going to need to get up to his head on your own and avoid the sand already making up his body,_ Ryusanda said. Naruto agreed and they swerved quickly through the air, climbing back into the clouds. Ryusanda released a roar that overshadowed the explosive thunder all around them as massive bolts of lightning struck the rings around his body. His scales started to glow blue, the charge building until they were a blinding white. At that point, they rocketed back down to the earth, plowing right through Shukaku's every attempt to stop them. Naruto sheathed Eclipse and pumped as much chakra as he could to his legs before leaping clear off Ryusanda's head. He fell and watched as Ryusanda coiled his body around and around Shukaku. It was a testament to thunder dragon's massive length as he still had room to use his front pair of arms to pry open Shukaku's mouth and pour a pure white beam of electricity out of his mouth and into the Tailed-Beast's. Naruto landed on Shukaku's snout and took off at a sprint towards where Gaara's torso was still sticking out of its forehead. Sand emerged around Gaara to stop Naruto, but he bobbed and weaved around them as he got closer and closer. He was feet away when a deluge of sand shot out in front of Gaara, too close to dodge. Not one to be deterred, Naruto pumped chakra into his left hand. It swirled around and around into a tight sphere and he screamed as he leapt and shoved it through the wall of sand. The barrier exploded, but Naruto's momentum was still stopped as another tendril wrapped around his ankle mid flight. He clenched his right hand into a fist as he fell forward, and with a mighty cry, threw everything he had into it.

His dark, metal fist crashed into Gaara's face, smashing right through his thin sand armor, and shocking him out of the realm of dreams. Shukaku screamed louder than ever before he was cut off as he was resealed in Gaara. The blue markings covering the sand making up his form faded. Ryusanda uncoiled his form and flew back into the clouds.

 _That was quite the battle, Naruto. I would not be against being summoned again for a similar confrontation in the future._

With a flash of lightning, the clouds cleared and Ryusanda was nowhere to be seen. The early evening sun shined over Konoha as the battling ended. The enemy forces lost morale when their trump card had been defeated and their leader nowhere to be found. The forces from Oto retreated back into the forests, while those from Suna laid down there arms in surrender.

Naruto was not aware of this as he plummeted towards the trees. He tackled Gaara on the way down, and they crashed through the branches, slowing them down before landing with a thud. He coughed as he struggled to his feet, everything hurt and he was pretty sure he had more broken bones than unbroken ones.

"H-How?" Naruto looked up and hummed curiously as he locked eyes with a terrified Gaara who was trying to back away from him unsuccessfully. "How are you so strong?"

Naruto frowned. He had realized over their battle that he had been very close to winding up just like Gaara. "We're not so different, you and me," he croaked as he tried to get his feet underneath him. "We both lived a life of loneliness and hatred because of what we contain. But I was lucky enough to find something to protect. Once you have someone precious that you want to keep safe above all else, that's when you really know what power is."

"Gaara!"

Naruto and Gaara turned their heads to watch as Temari ran over to help her brother. Naruto chuckled and finally made it to his feet. "I think, if you let them, you might find you already have a few people who you can consider precious." He turned around and left, limping slowly back in the general direction of Konoha.

 _I'm proud of you, Kit,_ Kurama said. _You went way beyond what anyone could ever ask of you._

"I didn't do it because I was asked to," Naruto replied. "I did it to protect them."

 _And that's why I'm proud of you. You don't owe that place or its people anything, but your dedication to protect your precious people pushed you to do something few can ever attest to. Those ungrateful villagers might not want to admit it, but you're a hero._

"Maybe," Naruto whispered. "But at the moment, I'm just tired."

 _Then rest,_ Kurama said even as Naruto closed his eyes and appeared in his mindscape curled up in his father's tails.

It took some time for Konan and Guren to find him, noting bitterly that he was laying unconscious in a section of the forest that recovery teams had already covered. Konan picked him up and carried him while Guren watched.

"He's really amazing, isn't he?"

Konan nodded and looked at the boy in her arms. For once, he actually looked his proper age. If not for the torn clothes revealing his scars and his prosthetic arm, his peaceful expression would make one think he had lived a perfectly normal life up until that point. They disappeared in a flurry of paper and reappeared in the Hokage's office where Hiruzen, Tsunade, and Jiraiya were discussing their next move.

Hiruzen was the first to notice Naruto's broken and battered form and couldn't help but remember the last time a woman had appeared in his office carrying him. Today had proven that Naruto had been the right choice for the Goddess to entrust her blessings with as reports of the support his clones had provided, not the least of which included providing Hiruzen with backup necessary to survive his fight with Orochimaru, and even he had awoken in time to watch the climactic battle between the One-Tail and Naruto's dragon.

"Naru-kun!" Tsunade cried as Konan layed Naruto down on the couch. She bent over him, applying as much healing chakra as she could to help Kurama in healing her son while Hiruzen and Jiraiya watched.

"I need to step down," Hiruzen said with a resigned sigh. "If today has proven anything, it's that the time has come for my generation to pass on the reins."

"Who will take your place?" Jiraiya asked.

"It has to be one of you two."

Jiraiya sighed, resting his fists on his hips as he stared at the ground. "Guess that means you get the job Tsu-hime."

"Why me?" Tsunade asked. She had moved to sit on the couch with Naruto's head in her lap since it looked like Kurama was taking care of any leftover injuries.

"I can't maintain my spy network while stuck here being the Hokage. Plus you're the First's granddaughter, you'll have more appeal with the people."

"I'm also Naruto's mother. That pretty much puts me at second on Konoha's least favourable people list."

Naruto groaned and shifted in Tsunade's lap, cutting off any further conversation for the moment. "Mom? Hasa-chan? What's going on?"

"You saved the village, Naru-kun," Tsunade explained softly.

"Thanks to you, the One-Tail's rampage was stopped before it could even start," Konan added.

"Did you and Ero-Sennin manage to help Jiji?"

"Thanks to you, they got there just in time to save me," Hiruzen said, smiling at his surrogate grandson's compassionate nature. "Though that snake did take a bite out of me."

Naruto chuckled weakly when Hiruzen tapped his amputated leg with the crutch he was holding. "Guess we're both missing something, eh Jiji?"

"That we are, Naruto."

"We were just discussing Sarutobi-sensei's replacement, so now that you're awake, Konan can take you to the hospital," Jiraiya said. "It's good to see you doing alright."

"I feel like Dad used me as a chew toy before falling asleep on me, so alright might be a little ways off yet," Naruto croaked prompting chuckles all around before he turned to Tsunade. "Before I go though, since you're obviously the next choice for the gig, I think you should hold out on arresting the council for a while."

"Why's that, Naru-kun?"

"Now that we know what they're doing, it'll be easier to handle these council members. If you have them arrested, everyone will think you did it for me, making the village more divided, and they'll still elect new civilians who will fight you at every turn. Take out their support first, and those corrupt geezers won't have a leg to stand on."

"You have an incredible mind for politics, Naruto-kun," Hiruzen said. "Tsunade, Jiraiya, and I will take what you have said under advisement. Now, I'll have to ask you to get going, we still have some issues to discuss that are above your paygrade."

Naruto nodded and stood up with the help of Konan. Before leaving, he turned back one last time. "That girl we knocked out to let Mom and Ero-Sennin through the barrier, where is she?"

"She's in the hospital," Tsunade replied. "Why?"

"I want to get to her before the T&I department does," Naruto replied. "I have a hunch I need to confirm."

"Alright, I trust your judgement, Naru-kun. Have Shizune take you to her once she's checked you out."

Naruto waved and leaned heavily on Konan as they ambled out of the Hokage Tower and toward the hospital. Konan took off the plain black cloak she had acquired for herself after renouncing her ties to Akatsuki and draped it over Naruto's right side, hiding his prosthetic arm.

"I can't believe these people," Konan growled as she noticed that they still received several glares from those they passed. "Did they not see you take on a Tailed Beast singlehandedly to protect them?"

"Not really, they saw a massive dragon covered in lightning descend from the sky and fight Shukaku," Naruto replied.

"And it's common knowledge that only one person in this village has the ability to summon dragons."

Naruto tightened his grip around Konan's shoulder. "It's okay, Hasa-chan. I didn't fight Shukaku for them. I fought it for you and all my other precious people," he murmured in her ear.

"It still doesn't make it right," Konan whispered bitterly. Her face was heating up slightly from the warm moisture of Naruto's breath caressing her ear.

"I never said it does. But if I focused on how much the villagers hated me, I'd never get anything done, and I'd probably be in the same position Gaara was."

They were about twenty feet from the hospital when the doors burst open and two different shades of blue tackled Naruto out of Konan's arms. Guren and Hinata clung tightly to him and Naruto couldn't help but smile and hug them back.

Guren was babbling nonstop, her concern for Naruto's safety and relief at seeing him relatively unharmed coming out in a flood of run on sentences. Hinata, on the other hand, was silent and just buried her head in Naruto's shoulder content to allow her and Naruto's presences comfort one another.

"I'm happy to see you two as well," Naruto whispered into their ears. "But maybe you should let me go get checked up before you break my ribs all over again."

Guren and Hinata shot back to their feet, faces red. This time it was Hinata's turn to babble and stutter embarrassingly while the older blue-haired girl looked anywhere but at Naruto. Konan chuckled and helped Naruto to his feet. They walked through the doors to the hospital, Hinata and Guren on their heels, and Naruto was struck dumb when he was welcomed by applause and cheers from both the hospital staff and the shinobi they were tending.

"W-what's going on?" Naruto asked disbelievingly. He had experienced a lot in his short life –many would say too much –and anything his own experiences didn't help him to understand, his deep general knowledge from reading anything and everything he could get his hands on would usually help him figure out some way to respond to any given situation. But all of that could never have prepared him for this. People were smiling at him and welcoming his presence. A few of them even came up to him and bowed, apologizing for their behaviour in the past and thanking him for his service to Konoha.

Shizune smiled and weaved her way towards her little brother, placing her hand on his back and gently guiding him down the hall. "They're thanking you."

"Thanking me?" Naruto parroted, more lost than before. "Why?"

"You saved a lot of lives today, Naruto-kun," Konan explained. "The hospital would probably be in ruins were it not for you sending me, Guren, and Karin to defend it until your clone brought backup. The staff here saw you fighting with us to keep them safe. They shared stories of your exploits with the injured that were brought here and when word came that a squadron of dragons had appeared to reinforce the breach in the wall, your acclaim only grew."

"Don't forget that pretty much everyone knows about the giant dragon appearing out of nowhere and defeating the One-Tail," Guren added.

Shizune nodded. "Most will try to deny your exploits here, Naruto-kun, but the few who have now fought beside you or whose lives you saved won't deny you anymore."

They strolled down a few flights of stairs and entered the first door on their left when they reached the lowest floor of the hospital, where prisoners in need of medical attention were kept, away from the regular visitors.

Inside, Kurenai, Anko, and Haku waited impatiently. Smiles graced each of their faces once they saw Naruto, and they all hugged him in turn, expressing their relief at seeing him alive. Having reassured them all and immersed himself in the comfort they provided, Naruto turned to the reason he was here while Shizune ran a diagnostic on him.

"Nobody else has seen her yet?" He asked quietly. His throat was beginning to burn with the familiar stinging of overuse.

"Nope," Anko replied. "There were so many prisoners to sort through that nobody noticed one person going missing in all the paperwork."

"Benefits of having friends in the T&I Department," Kurenai added with a smile. "But why, exactly, are we all commiting what could be treason right now?"

"I wanted to talk to her before anyone else had a chance to dig through her thoughts," Naruto replied. "I have a feeling that there's more to her than meets the eye. Not unlike Hasa-chan."

"Plus, the chance of getting caught just makes it that much more thrilling, eh Kure-chan?" Anko asked sweetly, hugging Kurenai close. Kurenai rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. She placed a genjutsu over herself and the other occupants of the room while Naruto broke the coma seal placed on her forehead.

It took a few minutes, but the colour slowly returned to the girl's fair cheeks. Brown eyes blinked blearily as she tried to figure out where she was before landing on Naruto and widening.

"You!" The girl screamed, red hair whipping back and forth as she tried to escape her bindings. "You're the shithead who tried to cook me alive!"

Naruto nodded and grinned cheekily. "Naruto Uzumaki, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Like I care what your name is!" The girl shouted. "Undo these straps and let me go!"

"Sure." Naruto smiled and began undoing the straps making the girl freeze and stare at him like he was insane.

"You some kind of idiot or something?" She asked. "Why would you willingly untie your own prisoner?"

"You're not my prisoner," Naruto said simply. "Though you might wind up being Konoha's by the end of the day if we're not careful."

"And why would you go against your own village like that?"

Naruto shrugged. "Call it a whim."

The girl narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but figured he wasn't going to give any more information than that. She had been one that snake bastard's elite fighters after all. "Tayuya."

"Hmm?"

"My name. It's Tayuya."

Naruto smiled and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Tayuya. I want to save you from being stuck under Orochimaru's thumb, if you'll let me."

"Who said I was stuck with that snake bastard?" Tayuya shouted defensively. "I'm part of the Sound Four, Orochimaru's personal bodyguards!"

"And you hate it, don't you?" Naruto asked. "It's as clear as day when I look in your eyes, you aren't loyal to him, you fear him, isn't that right?"

Tayuya looked away, trying to hide how much Naruto's ability to see past her crass façade shook her as well as the heat rising unbidden to her cheeks when she looked into his deep blue eyes. "Y-you don't know what you're talking about!"

"I think I do. You didn't become such a high-ranking follower of his because you wanted power, you did it to survive. But you don't have to live in fear all the time anymore."

"Even if I was afraid, why would I trust you?" Tayuya shot back. "You're the guy who tried to bake me!"

"I'm also the one who is keeping you out of Konoha's interrogation rooms and offering you refuge," Naruto countered.

"What's the catch?" Tayuya asked suspiciously. "There's no way something as good as that comes by without a whole bunch of strings attached."

Naruto smiled, ignoring the ever growing pain in his throat. He really wanted to just lie down and sleep. "The catch, as it were, is you would tell me everything you know about Orochimaru, his plans, and any other information pertaining to Oto that you have. No interrogation, no torture, no mind reading, just you and me, talking. In exchange, I'll offer you a choice."

"What kind of choice?"

"You can either go free, so long as you swear not to return to Orochimaru, though I think that is unlikely. Or, you can come stay with me and I will promise you safety by my side. You'll still be free to leave whenever you choose, but I won't be able to guarantee your safety if you do."

"So it's between going back to another prison, wandering around until that snake hunts me down, or, what, being a leaf ninja?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not exactly. I'm not the most popular guy around, so if you came to stay with me, you would be helping me, not Konoha. Of course, that would also be your choice as well. If you so chose, you could return to a perfectly normal civilian life, or even try to properly enlist with Konoha."

"And if I helped you, what would we be doing?" Tayuya asked.

"Unless this is your way of saying you've accepted my offer, I'm afraid I can't tell you," Naruto replied vaguely.

Tayuya was silent for several minutes. She stared into Naruto's eyes, searching for even the barest hint of deceit, but astoundingly, she found none. There hadn't even been a shred of doubt when he had proclaimed that he would protect her from Orochimaru. Her mind made up Tayuya smirked and held out her hand.

"Alright, you're still an idiot for thinking you could possibly stand up to that snake fuck, but it'll be pretty cool to see just what you have planned behind your village's back."

Naruto smiled and accepted her hand. They spent the next several hours talking about their lives, with Tayuya including as many details as she could about anything she thought would be even remotely related to Orochimaru, while Naruto elaborated some of his more long term goals and dreams.

Tayuya found herself actually enjoying Naruto's mixture of razor sharp wit and refreshing bluntness. She laughed and smiled for what she was pretty sure was the first time since she had even heard Orochimaru's name all those years ago before being plucked off the street and thrown in one of his prisons, forced to fight for her life.

It was late at night when Naruto decided it was time to leave. He held his hand out and helped Tayuya off her bed, keeping a steadying grip on her arm as he escorted her out of the hospital and towards his estate.

"You weren't kidding about not being popular were you?" Tayuya asked as they opened his front gate and saw several unconscious bodies sprawled across his lawn.

Naruto shook his head and yawned. "They shouldn't have tried sneaking into my house. I'll deal with them in the morning."

He brought Tayuya inside and led her to one of the guest rooms, stating he would find her some clothes tomorrow. Bidding her goodnight, he strolled back to his room, shrugging off his tattered clothes before collapsing in bed. He was asleep before he even hit the bed.

*(OoO)*

"Well go and get him then!"

Shouting from outside woke Naruto the following day. He groaned and rolled himself out of bed, taking not of the fact that the sun was already well on its way to setting again, meaning he had sleapt through most of the day. He looked out the window when he saw Hinata and Guren standing in his front lawn while Inoichi Yamanka shouted at them from outside his front gate.

"And I told you, he's resting," Guren replied, less than impressed with the behaviour of their visitor.

"Than wake him up," Inoichi growled. "If that boy wants to shirk laws and throw his weight around, then he needs to at least follow through on his responsibilities instead of lazing around all day."

 _"What's this about shirking laws?"_ Ryuda growled as he and Naruto joined Guren and Hinata on the front lawn. The young dragon yawned widely, having been asleep since before Naruto had arrived the previous night and unhappy with being woken up.

Guren and Hinata blushed as they looked Naruto up and down. He was dressed in a baggy pair of black track pants and had a robe covering his artificial arm, its hand resting in his pocket, while the muscles of his torso were on clear display. Each muscle was toned and without an ounce of fat. They didn't bulge, but rather were corded tightly, more reminiscent of a runner's physique. The multitude of scars covering his torso added a sort of wild, primal beauty, though Hinata and Guren felt a little bad when they thought about how he had earned most of them.

Inoichi looked particularly uncomfortable when faced with a torso covered in more scars than Ibiki. The quiet confidence in Naruto's stance spoke of his indifference and lack of shame towards the physical evidence of the village's hatred for him. Mixed with the sight of the five-foot tall, armored dragon standing by his side, and Inoichi was suddenly feeling a lot more on edge.

"I've got evidence to prove that you are harboring a member of the Oto forces and willfully helped them escape custody," Inoichi proclaimed.

 _"No you don't,"_ Naruto replied easily.

"You're awfully confident," Inoichi said, whipping the poker face he used during interrogations. One of the members of the Hyuga clan had seen him walking home with the girl being held in the hospital, and Hiashi had relayed the information to him. All he had to do was get the boy to incriminate himself then the recorder in his pocket would give him all the evidence he needed to finally arrest him. "How could you possibly know what evidence I do or don't have?"

 _"Because I'm not an idiot,"_ Naruto replied. _"If you actually want to press charges against me, feel free to talk to the Hokage and come visit me."_

With that, he turned around and left Inoichi to stew in his anger as he, Ryuda, Hinata, and Guren returned inside. Once inside, he turned to them and pinned them with his eyes.

"You've already seen my scars, haven't you?"

Hinata and Guren both looked down ashamedly and nodded.

"I've known about them for a while," Hinata whispered. "I've seen you with my Byakugan enough to see everything." Her face heated up at the implications of her words, but Naruto didn't catch it.

"The rest of us that didn't know saw you while you were sleeping," Guren added. "But none of us think any differently about you because of them, in fact, if anything, we all respect you more now."

Naruto sighed, shirking his robe and revealing the dark metal of his right arm. "I guess there's no point in getting upset over what's already done." He dropped down on the couch, draping his arms along the back. "As long as you don't mind my deformities."

"Not at all!" Hinata squeaked. She and Guren both crawled in beside him.

"To be honest," Guren added, her cheeks aflame, "they kind of look pretty good on you."

Naruto grinned and pulled them both closer, impulsively planting a kiss on the top of their heads. They sat comfortably there, Ryuda curling up in a corner and going back to sleep, for a couple hours before the door opened and Tayuya entered the living room, arms laden with several plastic bags, accompanied by Konan, Karin, Tsunade, and Kurenai.

"Good to see you're finally awake, Naru-kun," Tsunade said happily while Tayuya and Karin carried the groceries into the kitchen.

"Kessho-hime and Ao-hime told me I slept right through your inauguration," Naruto replied with a pout. "I'm sorry I missed it."

Tsunade waved him off and dropped into one of the armchairs while Konan took a seat on Guren's other side, Kurenai mimicking her for Hinata. "Don't be, I'm the one who said you needed the rest. Sarutobi-sensei tried to push it back, but the elders said that the ceremony should take place as soon as possible to bring some hope back to the village."

"I think they just wanted everyone to think of you as Tsunade Senju, Granddaughter of the First, instead of Tsunade Senju, Mother of Naruto," Kurenai remarked a little bitterly.

Naruto smiled, reaching around Hinata to grab Kurenai's hand. "I'm fine with that. Mom needs all the support she can get, even if that means not pulling our relationship into the spotlight."

"I'm proud of your considerate nature and practicality, Naru-kun," Tsunade said carefully. "But Kurenai's right. You should have been there, if anything because the other clan heads were."

"Speaking of which," Naruto segwayed before they could get into the uncomfortable conversation regarding his treatment by the village, "thanks for taking care of those tresspassers before Inoichi Yamanaka came by for a visit."

Tsunade once again waved him off. Tayuya and Karin rejoined them and they spent the rest of the night talking about lighter subjects before they retired to bed. The only one's left downstairs were Naruto, Guren, Kurenai, and Konan who had all fallen asleep in a pile of limbs on the giant couch after staying up to keep talking.

*(OoO)*

A week later, Naruto and Kurenai were finally on their promised date. The village was still in a state of disarray, so Naruto took Kurenai for a hike in the forests nearby. They dressed casually, neither wearing their usual gear, instead they opted for loose fitting pants and shirts. Naruto couldn't help but keep glancing to the side, watching the woman on his arm as she observed the surroundings she rarely took the time to properly appreciate. Her hair had been pulled back into a low hanging ponytail, while his bangs kept falling in front of his left eye, the other protected by a rather annoying cowlick that only made itself known when he forewent wearing his forehead protector.

They paused at a clearing where a blanket had been laid out with a basket on top of it. Kurenai couldn't stop grinning as she sipped her sake after finishing the fantastic meal that Naruto had prepared for them (though he admitted that he had considerable help from Shizune). Not even Ryuda had joined them, so when Naruto took her by the hand and vanished with a shunshin, reappearing at the top of the Hokage Monument, they were completely alone. He unrolled the blanket once more and sat down upon it, Kurenai taking a seat between his legs and leaning against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close and rested his head on her shoulder as they watched the sun set over the village.

"Naruto?"

Naruto hummed, eyes closed as he simply enjoyed Kurenai's presence with his other senses. "Yes?"

"What is it you're planning?"

Opening his eyes, Naruto layed back. Kurenai followed him down and rested her head on his chest so they could look each other in the eye. "What do you mean?"

"I don't doubt everything you do is from the kindness of your heart, but you're planning something in the long term, aren't you? Protecting Hinata and the others so publicly, antagonizing the council, we can all see that you're up to something and you're playing it really close to the chest."

Naruto smiled, his blue eyes shining. "I should've known I couldn't keep something from you girls for long."

"So you are up to something?" Kurenai asked. Naruto nodded and she frowned. "Then why not tell us? Have we not all proved that we would stand by you?"

"You have," Naruto said. "There's just certain things that I have to do without you knowing."

Kurenai looked into his eyes, despairing at the thought that he would be shouldering so much more than any of them were even aware. "But why? Why can't you ask us for help?"

"When the time is right, I will include you all in my scheming," Naruto said softly. His raspy voice sent shivers down Kurenai's spine as he leaned in. They lost themselves in their mutual feelings, alternating between passionate and lustful, and slow and languid. Kurenai lost track of how much time passed, focusing only on the ever rising heat as she and Naruto kissed. They only parted when the sound of someone clearing there throat uncomfortably interrupted them. They separated and Kurenai struggled to steady her heartbeat and breathing while the ANBU agent informed them that Naruto was being summoned by the Hokage to appear in front of the council. Standing up, Naruto leaned down to kiss Kurenai one last time and whisper in her ear. "Until then, you all need plausible deniability."

He disappeared with a bittersweet smile on his face and Kurenai sighed, looking out over the village.

*(OoO)*

Naruto landed in front of the council chambers and promptly summoned Ryuda.

"What do you figure they want this time?" Ryuda asked groggily. He had been spending almost all of his free time either sleeping or eating, and Naruto suspected that his friend might be on the cusp of quite the growth spurt.

 _I have a few ideas,_ Naruto signed back. They entered the chambers, and Naruto was glad to see that at least it was just the shinobi side of the council that had convened.

 _"This better be good,_ " Ryuda translated with a growl. _"I was in the middle of a pretty awesome date."_

Tsunade smirked, making a mental note to grill her son later, and steepled her fingers in front of her chin. "Apparently, you've been up to no good, Naru-kun."

Naruto shrugged, a mischievous grin stretching the whiskers on his cheeks as he signed a response. _"What else is new?"_

"This time you've overstepped your bounds." Inoichi glowered angrily and slapped a sheet of paper on the table. "I have here the paperwork for a prisoner who was admitted into the hospital, that prisoner is now unaccounted for, and eye witnesses say they saw her walking with Naruto Uzumaki towards his estate."

 _"I guess it's a good thing Tayuya is under my clan's protection then,"_ Naruto replied.

"Hokage-sama, this behaviour cannot continue," Hiashi said.

"It was one thing when he dragged the names of three noble clans through the dirt by developing a reputation for taking in strays," Koharu added. "But this girl was seen aiding Orochimaru directly in his attempt on the Third's life."

"She should be handed over to my department to find out what she knows about Orochimaru and his plans," Inoichi concluded.

"That won't be necessary, Inoichi," Tsunade replied. "She has already told us everything she knows."

"How can you be sure?" Chouza asked.

 _"Because, I spoke with her myself,"_ Naruto said. _"Tayuya was not a willing soldier of Orochimaru. Many of his soldiers are prisoners themselves, forced to fight just to survive. As a result, in exchange for everything she knew I offered her refuge with my clan. You are correct that I am harboring an escaped prisoner, but it was not Konoha she escaped from."_

He knew from the scowls around the table that his latest stunt had done nothing to win the support of any more clan heads. The Yamanaka had been in charge of the T&I Department since its inception, and he had completely circumvented them in order to get to Tayuya first. The most he could hope for would be them blaming him, and not finding out about Anko's part in orchestrating his little insubordination.

"You've been uncharacteristically quiet on this subject, Danzo," Tsunade remarked. "What are you thinking?"

Danzo shifted in his seat, watching Naruto carefully. Naruto subtly shook his head, indicating that he had told Tsunade of their partnership as of yet. "I think that what matters is the information, not how or by whom it is acquired."

Tsunade stifled her surprise before it could show. She had fully expected Danzo to side with Inoichi, if nothing else than to just make her life more difficult. Hiruzen had warned her about him, stating that even Naruto was unable to find anything incriminating in regards to ROOT and its operations. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, clearly there was some sort of ulterior motive for taking her side, she just couldn't see it yet.

"Is that so?"

Danzo nodded. "I am no longer surprised by Uzumaki-san's habit for navigating legal loopholes, and while I would warn him against developing the reputation of a safe haven for criminals of all sorts, he has not acted in any fashion against Konoha itself."

"He has shirked clan and village laws at every turn!" Inoichi exclaimed. "We can't be sure that any of the _refugees_ he's taken in are not a threat to the village. If he wanted to act in the village's best interest, he wouldn't be worming his way around our laws to accomplish some sort of hidden goal."

"Alternatively," Shikaku said lazily, "if he wasn't loyal to the village, why would he summon all those dragons as reinforcements, or the giant one to firght the One-Tail?"

"There's no proof he was the one who summoned them," Hiashi countered haughtily.

Ryuda growled loudly, rising to his full transformed height next to Naruto. "I've already told you people that the dragon clan will only accept Naruto as our summoner. My father's troops and Ryusanda, the embodiment of lightning himself, came to help this village because we were answering Naruto's call."

"Jiraiya is the only one who can summon toads," Tsunade added. "You aren't questioning that the giant toads who also appeared were summoned by someone else, are you?"

Hiashi scowled, electing to remain silent.

"I believe that we have covered the formalities of this meeting, Hokage-sama," Danzo said. "It grows late, and I know many of us would like to go home."

Tsunade nodded and dismissed them. Naruto and Ryuda followed her to her office where Hinata, Haku, Guren, Tayuya, Konan, Asuma and the members of Team 10, and Jiraiya waited patiently. They all remained silent as she took her seat and released a great sigh.

"Now I see why Sarutobi-sensei was always in a rotten mood after those meetings," she groaned.

"Dad has been quite a bit happier since abdicating," Asuma remarked, smoke curling lazily from the cigarette between his lips.

Tsunade grunted and rested her elbows on her desk. "First things first, Hinata, Naruto, Shikamaru, Haku, congratulations. After seeing your performance in the exams and the invasion I have decided to award the four of you with the rank of chunin." Naruto smiled and wrapped Haku and Hinata up in a big hug, prompting blushes from both girls while Shikamaru lamented his increased workload, prompting Ino to yell at him. Tusnade smiled allowing them their moment of happiness before getting back to business. "Unfortunately, there won't be time to celebrate. I have a mission for you."

 **A/N: A lot happened here but at the same time I feel like more should have. Either way, I don't have a lot else to say. Someone did say that I should mention the bashing, which is fair, but there is a long term purpose for it, so hopefully not too many of you are turned off because of it. Anyways, thanks for reading, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts!**


	17. Chapter 17

"Ano, Hokage-sama, what mission could warrant so many people going on it?" Hinata asked.

"I'm afraid I wasn't clear, Hinata," Tsunade replied. "You won't be going on the mission with the rest of them. Your mission is of a different sort and we will discuss it when I have finished with everyone else."

Hinata frowned slightly in disappointment, but nodded and took a step back while Tsunade addressed the rest of the gathered shinobi.

"The rest of you will be heading to the capitol of the Land of Fire to speak to the Daimiyo. With the attack, and my inauguration, I feel it prudent that I send representatives to report on Konoha's status. As such, I have decided that Jiraiya, as my teammate, and Naruto, as my son, will act as my advocates while in the capitol. Asuma, your former position as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja will help us get a foot in the door considering the abruptness of this mission."

"This is still a rather large group to be sending on a diplomatic mission, Hokage-sama," Asuma replied.

"That's because it's more than a simple diplomatic mission. Our spies have given us information that someone is planning some sort of attack upon the capitol. Asuma, you and your team will be working with the Guardians while Konan, Guren, and Tayuya will be working with Naruto and Jiraiya to root out the enemy and their plans." Tsunade paused, allowing them to absorb the information before continuing. "Additionally, we've been made aware of a dangerous group of S-Class criminals that you should be on the look out for. We think they might be after Naruto, but we don't know why yet. Be on the look out, and try not to be caught alone, particular those of you below jonin rank."

They all nodded and Jiraiya accepted the mission scroll before, one by one, they filed out of her office. Soon it was just Hinata and Tsunade who were left. Tsunade smirked, and Hinata knew that whatever it was she had planned, it was not going to be any easier than the mission Naruto had just been assigned.

*(OoO)*

"I still don't see why we're going," Ino complained as she and her team stood waiting for Jiraiya, Haku, Naruto, and the other girls who lived with him. Her father had warned her to steer clear of Naruto while on her mission and she couldn't help but wonder why. Especially when, after some light grilling, Chouji had broken down and said that his father had said the same thing.

"Now, now, Ino," Asuma said pleasantly, taking a drag from his cigarette. "You, Chouji, and Shikamaru are all the heirs to prominent clans in Konoha. It could do you some good to go and meet the people who help run your country."

"But Asuma-sensei, I thought Konoha was independent," Chouji said, brow furrowed while he shoveled another handful of chips into his mouth.

Asuma smiled, too lazy to explain the intricacies of the relationship between a country and its hidden village this late at night. "I guess that just means you'll benefit from this trip after all."

The rest of their group arrived with though there was an unexpected addition walking behind Haku.

"Last minute change of plans," Jiraiya announced. "Tsu-hime had another job that Haku was better suited for, so Zabuza here is going to be taking her place."

Ino cringed at the creepy swordsman and made a concentrated effort to stay as far away from him as possible. She felt quite inferior surrounded by so many higher ranked shinobi, but shook it off as they all took to the trees.

They traveled for the rest of the night, stopping only when the sun had risen and was starting to make its way across the sky. The members of Team 10 were exhausted when they finally came to a stop and set up camp. Even Asuma was sweating and breathing a little heavier as his students collapsed on the ground, not even bothering to unpack before falling asleep. Guren and Tayuya were in about the same state as he was, making Asuma wonder just who they were, while Zabuza was in somewhat better shape. The only ones who weren't winded were Jiraiya, Naruto, and Konan. More questions sprang up as Asuma considered who Konan could be to keepo up such a breakneck pace and not look even a little tired. Naruto made sense, considering his tenant made him a huge stamina freak, and Jiraiya was a Sannin, but Konan was a civilian. In fact, Guren and Tayuya were also civilians. He had heard the rumors that Konan had been a prisoner before Naruto offered her refuge under his roof, but what kind of prisoner could she have been if she had that much stamina at such a young age? His dad hadn't divulged any information, mostly at Asuma's behest, but now he was thinking that he might need to start getting back into politics.

The sun was low in the sky when Ino woke to a loud crash. She shot up and looked around the patch of forest where they had made camp, and saw her sensei standing a ways off leaning against a tree. Shooting to her feet, she ran to Asuma's side as another crash boomed through the air.

"Asuma-sensei, what's going on? Are we under attack?"

Asuma shook his head and pointed, Ino followed his finger and gaped. Standing in between several trees was Naruto, his Kunshugan was active, and she noted that there were three spikes circling around his spiraled irises now. He moved fluidly as Konan, Guren, Tayuya, and Zabuza all attacked him. He held them off as best he could, using his sword to stop Zabuza's own giant cleaver while several dark straks of chakra chopped up the strange shuriken made of paper that Konan seemed to be producing out of the sleeves of her dark cloak while kicking Tayuya and halting Guren's pink crystals with his own pale green ones.

She was astounded at Naruto's ability to hold off so many clearly high-level opponents, though they eventually got the best of him. Tayuya managed to kick him in the ribs, making him grunt and providing Konan the opening to blast him towards Guren who trapped him in crystal while Zabuza held his cleaver to Naruto's neck.

"Not bad," Jiraiya said dropping down from the trees. "You did pretty well at staying aware of where all of your opponents are, but you need to remember to use everything in your arsenal. Restricted as you were with our situation, you didn't do half bad against multiple opponents of equal or greater strength and skill."

Zabuza hefted his cleaver and smirked behind the bandages wrapped around his mouth. "Your kenjutsu's coming along. Your styles still need work and you need a ton more practice flowing through them, but you are improving. No matter how slowly."

Naruto grinned and flexed, shattering his crystal prison. Guren smiled and dispered the shards into dust in the air. "Your crystal manipulation is coming along nicely as well. Mixing three chakra natures can't be easy without the bloodline to do it, but I think the more you practice with them, the easier they will be to mix."

"How can Naruto use bloodline techniques like that?" Ino asked.

Asuma shrugged and took another drag from his cigarette. "You'll have to ask him yourself."

Ino frowned, turning away with a humph when Naruto smiled and waved to her. She was unusually quiet as they packed up camp and continued on their way as night fell.

*(OoO)*

Hinata scowled as she locked the front gate of Naruto's house for the night. He had barely been gone a week and already people were accosting her to let them in to _inspect_ the potential damages done to the Fourth's Estate. Her patience was waning as she repeatedly explained that it was _Naruto's_ estate and everything within belonged to him and if the Hokage wanted the house in which she lived inspected, she could order Hinata herself. She entered the living room and collapsed on the couch with a sigh, smiling when Kurenai wrapped her arms around her shoulders and held her close.

While Naruto was away, Hinata had been instructed to look over the estate with her Byakugan to see if there was anything either Naruto or his parents had hidden. Hinata had voiced her distaste for snooping around her crushes personal affairs, but Tsunade had mollified her, stating that she just wanted to be made aware of whether there was anything hidden away in the estate, not what was hidden. It still made Hinata uncomfortable, but she agreed anyways. Additionally, she, along with Haku, had been tasked with defending the Hokage's home from any potential intruders or trespassers while the owner of the estate was away.

She missed the dragons Naruto had summoned to watch over them, but at least Ryuda was always curled up near a window, and Kurenai and Anko visited often, usually coming back to the house after training with Kiba and Shino. Karin had taken Konan's place of sorting through various files for Tsunade, and without the dragon watching over her, Kiba had surprisingly offered her a room in the Inuzuka compound.

"I don't know how Naruto-kun deals with all of them," Hinata groaned.

"Villagers treating you like dirt again?" Anko asked while Kurenai rubbed her surrogate sister's shoulders. Hinata nodded angrily.

"They have been getting more aggressive lately," Kurenai remarked. "With Naruto gone, they've clearly made those close to him the new outlets for their distaste."

"At least it isn't everyone anymore," Haku noted. "Naruto's actions during the invasion at least one us a few allies in the hospital staff and certain members of the shinobi forces."

"Yeah, but have you noticed that tensions just seem to be getting higher since then?" Anko asked. "Most of the shinobi who acknowledge Naruto aren't in clans and feel the pressure from the civilian side, or the other shinobi. The only clans that actively support Naruto are the Inuzuka, the Aburame, and the Sarutobi. Everyone else is either on the fence and won't do anything to help him, or hates him and by extension, us."

"This is starting to sound a lot like what Zabuza would say Kiri was like before the civil war," Haku noted.

"You need allies," Ryuda grumbled from his position curled up by the window. He had become rather grumpy lately, and Shizune suspected that he was quickly going through the same mental development as a teenager would. Ryuda didn't appreciate the comparison, but Hinata couldn't help but giggle and think it cute whenever he dropped the angsty façade around her or the other girls.

"Unfortunately, none of us have the political clout to start campaigning for support," Kurenai stated. "I'm an orphan from a civilian family, as is Anko."

"Not to mention, my history with the snake leaves a bad taste in most people's mouths before they even talk to me."

"I only recently joined Konoha with Zabuza," Haku added. "And his reputation alone does not make either of us terribly approachable."

"And I'm the banished heir who weasled out of generations worth tradition and started this whole mess," Hinata concluded.

"You know none of us believe that," Kurenai urged hugging her close. "Naruto especially. He cares for you more than almost anyone."

"More than you?" Hinata asked, the smallest hint of bitterness in her voice. Kurenai sighed and pulled away to look her in the eye.

"Hinata, we talked about this, just because I was his first date doesn't mean he cares for me more than you. When Naruto told me he was going to be forced into multiple marriages, regardless of what he wants, I told you right away, didn't I?" Hinata nodded, shame colouring her cheeks. "You're like a little sister to me, Hina-chan, and if it weren't for the fact that this opportunity presented itself, I would have gladly stepped aside to see you be happy."

"I'm sorry, it's just hard sometimes," Hinata whispered. "I look at him and my chest aches. There are so many different feelings that I sometimes have trouble telling what they are. It just stung a little to know you would get to experience one of his firsts."

Anko stood up and sat on Hinata's other side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Naruto's been forced into a situation where he doesn't have a choice. If he doesn't have the requisite amount of wives or girls he's courting, the village will be allowed to marry him off. Considering that Tayuya girl has already been giving him bedroom eyes, we'll need to stop thinking of it in those terms if we want to be happy with Naruto while sharing him with six other girls. Kurenai didn't get his first date, she got his first date with her. It just happened to be before the rest of us."

Hinata smiled and curled up between Kurenai and Anko while Haku watched with a supportive smile on her face from her place in one of the armchairs. It might not have been the how she had imagined getting close to Naruto, but if sharing him meant having this kind of familial support structure at all times, she was sure she could do it.

"Speaking of which," Haku said, interrupting the pleasant moment. "You still have to tell us about your date."

Anko smirked sadistically while Kurenai blushed and looked away. Even Hinata got a slightly mischievous look on her face. "She's right Kurenai-sensei, tell us about your first date with Naruto-kun."

Kurenai opened her mouth but was interrupted when Ryuda raised his head and sniffed the air before growling lowly. The rest of them turned to him and saw two dark figures dressed in black cloaks flit by the windows. "What is it Ryuda?"

Ryuda stood to his full height and snarled at the window. "Two people somehow slipped through the barrier. They were Akatsuki."

"How could you tell?" Haku asked.

"They wore the same cloaks Konan used to wear. One smelled like fish, and the other smelled similar to that Uchiha brat."

"Itachi," Kurenai gasped. Anko bolted out the door and shunshinned to the Hokage Tower while Kurenai ordered Haku and Hinata to stay put. Ryuda ran outside and started to sniff around the house, finding a whole in the backyard from which the intruders must have entered the grounds. Dismissing himself, he appeared in his father's massive chambers, interrupting what looked like a meeting between him and the other head dragons. Owryudan may have been the head of the Dragon Clan, but he generally ruled with a mostly laissez-faire attitude. The strongest of the elemental dragons, rewarded with the title of Embodiments, were in charge of their own kinds and they reported to him regularly on the goings on within their personal areas of the realm.

Owryudan looked down at the speck that was his son, he was sitting curled up in his full-sized form, and it was a testament to his sense, greater than any predator's, that even from almost a kilometer away he could hear his son's frantic shouts and see the panic on his face.

"Dad! There's an emergency and I need your advice!"

Owryudan concealed his pride that his son would actually take the time to ask his elders for guidance rather than charge off head first like he had been known to do before he met Naruto.

"Calm yourself, son," Owryudan rumbled. "Remember that time does not flow at the same rate in our realm as it does in your familiar's realm." Ryuda nodded and took a deep breath while Owryudan shrank himself down to a more manageable size. "Now, tell me what has happened."

"You remember how I said there was this group of extremely powerful humans after Naruto, but we didn't know when?"

"I do. Have they mobilized?"

Ryuda nodded. "They sent two to his village and they managed to slip around his defences and approach his nest while four of his mates were there. They left when they realized he wasn't there, but it won't take them long to catch up. I want to go and stand by him, but I also need to stay with his nest, as the village will take any chance they can to cause him suffering."

Owryudan nodded in understanding. He looked up at the Embodiments and dismissed them, though Ryusanda stayed behind to offer his lightning dragons aid should they be required. Owryudan nodded his thanks and once the hall was empty, focused his chakra on their summoner.

*(OoO)*

Tayuya scowled as they approached the capitol of the Land of Fire. The journey hadn't been too bad, as Naruto was pretty good company. He was funny and considerate and unfazed by her brash persona. He challenged her, both intellectually when they would occasionally find the time to talk and she would question him on subjects varying from international politics to different training techniques, and physically as he went toe to toe with her, Guren, Konan, and Zabuza. They almost always won, but he was an impressive opponent. No tactic ever worked on him twice, and she wasn't sure she could beat him in a one on one fight, even if she had her flute. They drilled and beat him into the ground, and he always bounced right back, noticeably improved afterwards. Guren and Konan also made better company than she was used to. Like her, they both could be considered turncoats of a sort, and were used to the more morally grey actions that made the other Konoha shinobi, with the exception of Jiraiya and Zabuza, cringe or protest out of moral indignation.

The Loud-Lazy-Fat trio as she called them were the greatest source of her irritation. The mixture of hungry whining, indignant shouting, and sloth-like aversion to exertion were steadily wearing down on her patience and, since Naruto had suddenly vanished in a burst of smoke that evening before they left, her sanity. Their sensei wasn't quite as bad, but his indifference to his students' poor attitudes made her eye twitch every time she heard a sigh or complaint at the pace they were moving. Jiriaya was seemingly ignoring all of them, switching between perversely goofy and deadly serious seemingly on a whim. They had finally come to a stop on a hill looking down at the massive walls of the Fire Capitol which stood impressively around the sprawling city. Ino panted, doubled over as she tried to catch her breath, only to jump into the air with a screech as Naruto reappeared behind her in a plume of smoke.

"Where did you go off to?" Tayuya asked.

"My dad reverse summoned him to discuss some things," Ryuda replied as the he too appeared behind Naruto, frightening her all over again.

"Geez! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Ino cried, holding a hand over her chest dramatically.

"Never mind that," Jiraiya said, all business. "Now that Naruto's back, we're going to make the final push into the Capitol before finding an inn."

They all nodded and took off at a lighter run. They slowed down when they approached the gate, and Ryuda dismissed himself. They came to a stop and Ino, Chouji, Tayuya, and Naruto looked up in awe at the massive gates. They were easily twice the size of Konoha's own main gate, and Naruto could just barely see several armored guards patrolling the top of it.

"Halt!" A guard on the ground in front of them called as they approached. His thick, red plate armor and naginata that stood taller than him struck an imposing figure. The group obeyed and came to a stop while he and another similarly equipped man walked up to them. "Identify yourselves and state your business shinobi."

The venom in his voice was clear as he spat the last word like it was the worst insult possible. Jiraiya ignored the guard's attitude and smiled pleasantly as he handed over the scroll Tsunade had tossed him before they left. "My name is Jiraiya of the Sannin. As you can see, the new Hokage has sent myself and her own son as representatives to make contact with the Daimiyo and give him a full report of the conditions in Konoha. Additionally, I am accompanied by Asuma Sarutobi, former member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, and his team of students. They have come at the behest of one of his former comrades, though we were not informed why."

Naruto half listened as Jiraiya dealt with the guards, watching as other guards halted people trying to enter the city, checking papers and possible belongings. He narrowed his eyes as an elderly woman with an umbrella open over her head strolled casually past the guards, unnoticed, and walked down the main street unmolested. Something about the man set him on edge, but he pushed the matter to the back of his mind as their group was allowed entry into the capitol.

The impulsive part of Naruto wanted to keep whipping his head side to side as they walked down crowded streets. He had never been anywhere with so many people. Strange sights and sounds and smells assaulted him, begging him for attention at every turn.

"Asuma-sensei?" Ino asked, noticing the glares many people gave them upon seeing their forehead protectors. "Why did that guard seem to not like shinobi?"

"Aren't we both part of the same military?" Chouji added.

"It's a little bit more complicated than that," Asuma replied. "Technically, the shinobi of a hidden village are mercenaries who work for their countries. But relations have degraded severely between the shinobi and samurai forces."

"I take it the samurai don't appreciate the amount of autonomy we have?" Shikamaru presumed.

"Among other things," Jiraiya replied. "The Hidden Villages are almost nation-states unto themselves. Just because Suna declares war on Konoha does not mean the Land of Wind declares war on the Land of Fire. Unfortunately the complex politics between a country and its shinobi village are usually lost on most people, so they get confused as to who they are and aren't supposed to hate."

"Makes for some really nasty, unjustified prejudices," Zabuza growled, thinking back to the situation in his old home.

"What's the difference between the samurai and shinobi?" Ino asked.

"Jutsu," Naruto croaked.

"That's right, Naruto," Jiraiya said. "The shinobi of the hidden villages are the only ones who use chakra for techniques like ninjutsu. Regular military forces use chakra, but they stick to more traditional means of fighting, using chakra to increase their speed and strength as well as enhance their senses."

"So what keeps the shinobi of one country from attacking the capitol of another?" Chouji asked.

"Just because they don't use jutsu doesn't mean the regular military isn't prepared to deal with them," Asuma answered. "Plenty of freelance seal masters take contract work from the countries forces to provide barriers and enhance equipment. On top of that, there's a terrible amount of political blow back that would come with committing an act of war against another country without the permission of your sovereign nation."

"That's why they were called the Great Shinobi Wars," Konan answered. "Because they were fought over shinobi interests, without the knowledge or support of their nations."

"If you ask most regular people, they won't even know what the Great Shinobi Wars were," Tayuya added. "Even those who were caught in the crossfire generally didn't know what was going on. One minute their lives were fine, the next their entire home's being blown to shit with no explanation."

"How troublesome," Shikamaru muttered. "Having to worry about the political tensions between your country and others while also being afraid of when a bunch of people with supernatural powers will wipe your home off the map."

"That's just the way the world works," Guren said with a sad shake of her head. "And most of us are usually completely oblivious to it."

Ino looked down, falling into silence as the glares being directed her way suddenly filled her with shame. She noticed her teammates were also shrinking before the undisguised contempt being sent their way. Konan, Guren, and Tayuya were spared the brunt of it due to them not technically being shinobi, while Zabuza just glared right back. Jiraiya and Asuma were used to this kind of treatment, having been in and around the Land of Fire for a long time, though they were both frowning seriously. The only one completely unaffected was Naruto. He seemed to acknowledge the people's malice, but shrugged it off as he looked around and took in the sights. Around noon, they found an inn in the upperclass district of the capitol. Tall buildings rose around them as they walked down clean streets. The amount of glares had drastically lowered, but the rich nobles who milled about instead turned their noses as what they considered the group of ruffians. Jiraiya paid for their rooms and left with Asuma towards the palace to meet with their respective contacts. Ino watched as Naruto laid his stuff in the room he would be sharing with Shikamaru and Chouji before tossing himself out the window onto a nearby rooftop.

"Come on!" She cried, dragging her teammates after him. "I wanna see where he's going!"

"Why?" Chouji protested.

"He's probably just going to explore the city and get lost," Shikamaru reasoned. "It'd be too troublesome to follow him."

"Because, he's been super secretive lately, and I wanna know why," Ino explained as they pulled to a stop behind a wall. They watched as Naruto walked casually down the streets, his forehead protector in his pocket and his bangs falling just above his right eye. It seemed that Shikamaru had been correct, but Ino's gut told her to keep following him. Considering her father's position in Konoha, and her status as Konoha's Gossip Queen, she had developed fairly good insticnts for ferreting out the truth. "Besides, aren't you curious about why are dads warned us about him?"

"Mine didn't," Shikamaru corrected. "He said to watch him and not do anything too troublesome."

Ino growled and dragged them along anyway. They watched as Naruto entered the market district, smiling as several grimy children ran by him waving sticks around like swords. They knocked into an older woman holding an umbrella and she dropped her basket of produce to the ground.

"Thank you, young man," the elder said with a smile. "Not many who would stop and help an old lady with a task so menial."

"There's no task too small or menial if done for the right reasons." Naruto smiled, as he took the basket from her arms and held it his right against his hip while holding his left out for her to grab. "May I escort you to wherever you are headed?"

The old woman tittered and lightly wrapped her hand around the crook of his elbow. "I must say I have never heard one so young speak with such eloquence, especially a boy of shinobi descent."

"I usually don't," Naruto conceded. "I have an important meeting later, and I'm practicing."

"I see," the woman chuckled. "You do seem the type with little patience for innuendo or standing on ceremony."

"I have no issue with decorum or rhetoric, and have an appreciation for their use in circumventing conflict. But when tradition and ceremony stand in the way of progress and equality, they become perverted and must be dispensed with."

"What is your name, young man?" The woman asked as she led him towards the lower class districts of the capitol.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto replied.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Naruto Uzumaki," the woman's eyes twinkled. "You may call me Sentori."

"The pleasure is mine Sentori," Naruto replied.

"You know, Naruto-kun, you may be in possession of a silver tongue, but one as verbose as you must know the dangers of being so blunt in voicing your beliefs," Sentori observed. "There are those who think themselves above us that would mistake your intententions for impudence."

"Then they would only be proving my point," Naruto replied easily. "Tradition preserves culture, but if traditions are not allowed to change, than the culture becomes stagnant, eroding under the passage of time. Ceremony reinforces respect for one's position, but the individual must not mistake themselves for their position, lest they fall to corruption and contempt for those they serve."

"You imply that the corrupt peasant feels contempt towards his ruler?" Sentori asked with a gleam in her eye.

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. "Not at all. The peasant does not serve his ruler. The ruler serves the peasant. The peasant does his duty for his country by working towards his own prosperity and therefore furthering that of his country, and the ruler does his duty for his peasants by guiding the country towards that prosperity and protecting his subjects from harm."

Sentori laughed, amused by Naruto's articulate manner of expressing his ideals. "You certainly provide a novel perspective for this tired old woman, Naruto-kun. Unfortunately, this is where I am staying during my time in the city, and thusly where we will be parting ways."

"Thank you for allowing me to escort you to your inn, Sentori," Naruto replied. He eyed the umbrella she still held open over her shoulder and his curiosity got the best of him. "If you don't mind my asking, why do you carry that umbrella when the weather is so fair and there's not a cloud in the sky?"

The gleam in Sentori's dark eyes grew brighter and she smiled. "The sky may be clear, but that doesn't mean there is no oncoming storm. It's unfortunate that most would blame the clouds and the lightning they hide behind for the actions of forces beyond any of our control."

Naruto frowned and watched as she turned around and entered the inn. His mind swimming, he turned in place and leapt up onto a nearby roof, dashing back towards his own room.

"What was that all about?" Ino asked.

Chouji shrugged while Shikamaru frowned, his eyes narrowed. "I don't think that it was pure coincidence that Naruto happened to run into that woman."

"Why's that?" Chouji asked.

"I'm not too sure yet, something about the way they were acting was suspicious."

"Almost like we didn't want anybody listening in to know what we were talking about." Ino yelped and they all jumped as Naruto appeared behind them, frowning unhappily.

"What the hell are you doing here? We saw you run off back towards the inn!"

"I'm a clone," Naruto replied. "The boss was still annoyed with being followed by his own comrades and having our information gathering interrupted, so he left me here to ream you out."

"What information gathering?" Ino asked. "All you did was help an old woman with her groceries and discuss philosophy in an over complicated way."

"And maybe I would have gathered more if she hadn't been spooked by you three following us," Naruto growled, his Kunshugan flashing.

"What made you approach her in the first place?" Shikamaru asked.

Naruto shrugged. "I had a hunch, but now I doubt I'm gonna get anything more from her." He narrowed his glare on Ino and she shrunk before his swirling gaze. "Next time you feel the need to go poking around, at least do me the courtesy to ask me directly. Your dad should know just how hard it is to out maneuver me." He disappeared with a puff of smoke and Ino was left with more questions than answers as she and her teammates headed back to the hotel.

 **A/N: And with that, the next arc and the real AU starts. There will still be a lot of cannon events, but I'm hoping to create progressively bigger differences as the butterfly effect sets in. Other than that, I hope the little liberties I took with the politics of the Elemental Nations and that small exposition dump didn't bore you too bad, especially with the notable lack of decent or detailed action this chapter. As always, thanks for reading and telling me what you guys think! Your reviews and thoughts continue to spur me to keep writing.**


	18. Chapter 18

Naruto sat cross-legged on the roof of the inn, eyes closed as he focused on the wood chakra he was moulding. He opened them once the intitial sprout was created and watched as the energy in the air fought his chakra for control over the plant's growth. Narrowing his eyes, he wondered what would happen if he allowed the energy to work alongside his chakra. Deciding to test that experiment out later, he focused on his task as the small tree grew and formed into the proper shape.

"What are you doing?" Jiraiya asked as he swung himself up to the roof and took a seat next to Naruto.

"Ongaku-chan fights using a flute to power her genjutsu," Naruto replied. "I'm making her a new one to replace the one she lost in the invasion." He tossed the completed instrument to Jiraiya. "What do you think?"

"I think you're getting really good with the wood release if you're already making things like this."

"It's not easy, that energy that surrounds everything fights me constantly. Though I have a theory about how to get around that once you and Ryuda's dad start teaching me about it."

"I can't wait to see it," Jiraiya smiled. "Did your little boy-scout routine provide you with anything useful today?"

Naruto's frown deepened. "A bit, but she knew we were being followed so I didn't get too much out of her."

"And how does that make you feel?"

"Frustrated, mostly."

"Because you lost your lead?"

"Partially." Naruto sighed and leaned back to stare up at the stars overhead. "There was definitely something weird about that woman, but I'm mostly frustrated with myself."

"Why's that?" They both turned as Tayuya joined them on the roof. "You two talk loud and I'm a light sleeper," she explained in way of explaination.

Naruto smiled and beckoned her over to sit with them. Once she had taken her seat next to him, he handed her the flute. "Here. It's probably not as good as the one you had before, but I tried my best."

Tayuya gasped and shakily took the flute from his hands. "Naruto, this is –I-I don't know what to –I can't…"

Naruto smiled and wrapped her hands around the flute. "It's okay, you don't have to say anything."

"Why don't you try testing it out?" Jiraiya suggested.

Tayuya nodded and raised the flute to her lips. Her old flute was cold and hard when she played it, there was no life behind the music she played, this flute was different. The strong wood thrummed in her hands, and she could still feel Naruto's chakra in it. She started playing, quickly adjusting to the difference in sound between wood and metal. Soft music filled the air and she felt her heart grow lighter. She poured her gratitude and unexpressed feelings into her music and, judging by the looks on Naruto and Jiraiya's faces, they could feel them. Naruto stood up as she played and started moving in time to the music, his Kunshugan glowing brighter than ever.

Jiraiya watched in awe as his godson moved in time with Tayuya's music. It was a majestic danse as the elements started to join Naruto in his dance, wreathing around him. What surprised Jiraiya even more was that he could sense the nature energy around them reacting to Naruto's movements and starting to just barely infuse the elements he controlled. The song came to an end and Jiraiya decided to keep that little fact to himself as Naruto returned to his seat. He didn't want the boy to try experimenting on his own and winding up hurt. No one would escape Tsunade's wrath if her son wound up spending the rest of his days as a stone statue.

Tayuya lowered the flute, and in a rare show of emotion, wrapped Naruto in a crushing hug. "Thank you," she whispered. Naruto smiled and ran his fingers through her red hair, not saying a word as she tried to calm herself. Jiraiya was somewhat tempted to pull out his notebook and record the sweet moment before him for inspiration in later writings, but Naruto had already warned him about succumbing to his more perverted tendencies for fear of dealing with several very big, very hungry dragons. Tayuya eventually pulled back, having gotten a handle on her emotions, and frowned at Naruto. "You never answered my question."

Naruto raised in eyebrow. "What question?"

"Why are you frustrated with yourself for the Loud-Lazy-Fat trio messing up your information gathering?"

Naruto sighed again and his smile fell. "I don't want them to wind up like their parents. Ino said their dad's warned them about me, which makes sense considering Inoichi isn't my biggest fan, but I'm frustrated that my actions might have started turning people I wanted to consider my friends against me."

"You don't hold a grudge against them for their fathers siding against you?" Jiraiya asked.

"Why would I?" Naruto replied. "They aren't their dads. Most of the council doesn't like me, but that's nothing new. Besides, I think Shikaku is more on the fence than the other two. The invasion proved that it is possible for me to earn the respect of the people of the village, so that means I just have to work harder to make everyone else see where I'm coming from too."

"That's pretty wise, Naruto," Jiraiya remarked. "I think if you don't give up, you can achieve whatever dream or goal it is you have. Now, there was another reason why I needed to talk to you."

"What's that?"

"Tsunade sent a slug messanger to me. Two members of Akatsuki were seen in Konoha, looking for you. Several jonin engaged them and confirmed their identities as Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki. They managed to escape and are probably headed here to find and kidnap you."

Tayuya tensed while Naruto seemed unaffected. "I know, that's what I was reverse summoned for. Ryuda is the one who saw them, and he returned to his realm to ask for advice on his next move. Owryudan summoned me so we could all take the time to come up with a plan."

"And did you?" Tayuya asked.

Naruto smirked. "Sort of."

*(OoO)*

Karin walked out of the file room and smiled when she was met by Kiba and Akamaru.

"What are you two doing here?" She asked as Akamaru leapt into her arms.

"Kurenai-sensei's not getting out of the hospital until tonight, so I have the day off from missions."

"Strange that she would get out of the hospital so soon," Karin noted. "I heard that Uchiha-san was subjected to the same genjutsu as her and he is still in a coma."

"Yeah, well I guess that's because Kurenai-sensei's an awesome jonin and the Genjutsu Mistress, while Sasuke's just a genin," Kiba reasoned as he escorted Karin back to his place. He had overheard some people threatening her in the street after Naruto had left for his mission and offered her a room at his house so that she could feel safer. He didn't know why everybody hated Naruto so much, but he was Kiba's friend and Karin was precious to him. It didn't make things worse that she was really good company. They both had brash personalities, but she was way smarter than him. She would sometimes accompany him to watch his training, either alone or with his team, and usually had some form of insight to provide.

"Maybe your right," Karin conceded. "Though it doesn't lessen my concern for Naruto-nii."

Kiba wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, grinning while her cheeks heated up. "I wouldn't worry too much, Karin-chan! He's probably the toughest of anyone from our year, and he's got a ton of super strong people with him. If anything, be worried about Ino's shouting making him go deaf!"

Karin chuckled and they turned to lighter subjects, unaware of the scowling brown-haired boy watching them go past. With so many people gone, now was the perfect time for him to do some investigating of his own into what exactly Naruto Uzumaki was getting up to.

*(OoO)*

It took a week for Jiraiya and Naruto to get an appointment in the royal palace. To Naruto, the palace was the picture of decadence. The Hokage Tower was a practically built structure that resided in the most well defended part of the village and served as a command center. There were signs that the Royal palace had once been similar, but the heavily guarded citadel had long lost sight of its usefulness and fallen to the siege of aesthetics that came with generations of royalty needed to project their wealth and affluence. He did not deny its beauty on its own, tall red spires and towers surrounded a massive building and a large staircase with beautifully carved stone flames dotted the sides as they led up to the great oak doors wreathed in spiraling brass flames. But after several trips over the last week to the poorer districts around the edges of the capitol, Naruto couldn't help but feel that maybe all that wealth was better spent elsewhere.

The inside of the palace was just as lavish as the outside, creating a sort of bubble that could make one unaware of the troubles of the outside world. They sat quietly while a servant brought them tea. Naruto nodded gratefully to the boy and smiled. They had been waiting for the better part of an hour, nothing better to do than watch the great stone doors separating them from the throne room, until finally someone came to see them.

"Jiraiya of the Sannin, it is an honour to finally make your acquaintance."

Jiraiya and Naruto turned their heads and were greeted by a beautiful girl, no older than sixteen, bowing her head respectfully. Jiraiya stood and Naruto rolled his eyes at the perverse gleam in his eyes as he returned the bow. "Princess Fujika, the stories of your beauty don't do you justice."

Fujika lifted her hand and tittered behind the sleeve of her elegant kimono, though Naruto saw insincerity in her eyes. She turned her attention to him and and he smiled pleasantly. "And who might you be, young man?"

"My name is Naruto, Hokage-sama has sent me along with Ero-Sennin to inform your father of the shift in leadership and the current status of Konoha."

Jiraiya scowled at the nickname, but this time when Fujika laughed, Naruto was glad to see it reach her eyes. Her smile faded, though she maintained a pleasant visage as she spoke. "I see that the stories concerning you are true, Jiraiya-san. I'm blessed that Hokage-dono has sent such a watchful gentleman to keep you in line while we speak."

Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Pardon me, Fujika-hime, but I was under the impression that we would be speaking to your father." Jiraiya remarked.

"Unfortunately, my father is indisposed at the moment," Fujika replied. "He does not have the time to deal with these matters and has thus delegated them to me."

 _That sounds awfully convenient,_ Kurama growled. _Keep your eye on her, Kit._

 _I get the sinking feeling that we're speaking to the actual one in charge at the moment,_ Naruto replied.

Jiraiya noticed Naruto's brief look of suspicion as Fujika turned around and led them to her office. Not even he had been in the palace before, so they were in unfamiliar territory, both politically and literally, so if his something was putting Naruto, who had the best instincts of anyone Jiraiya had seen of his age, then Jiraiya was going to tread lightly. Naruto had a blank look on his face, indication he was speaking to Kurama, and when he returned to proper awareness Jiraiya took the time to practice his sign language.

 _What do you think?_

Naruto frowned. _I think that we need to be on our toes, and that Mom was smart to send someone with you with an extensive legal knowledge. Try to get what you can from her._

"Your father must trust your military knowledge implicitly to delegate the matters of his shinobi village to you and knot one of his generals," Jiraiya remarked.

Fujika hesitated for barely a second as she reached for the ornate wooden door to her office, and Naruto caught it. "Yes," she replied. "My father has had me in lessons on every aspect of ruling a nation for as long as I could read. I am more than qualified to handle matters such as these while he attends to more important affairs."

"It is a shame that we can't see him," Naruto added. "Along with our report, Hokage-sama entrusted me with an important proposal to deliver only to the Daimiyo."

"And why would the Hokage of Konoha send someone so young to discuss policy and proposal?"

Kurama snickered in his head making Naruto smirk. "Like you I have unique qualificaitons that make me an important asset to her."

"Oh?" Fujika's eyebrows rose in interest. "The new Hokage is a woman?"

"That she is," Jiraiya said. "Her name is Tsunade Senju."

"The legendary medic, Sannin, and granddaughter to the First Hokage. A fitting choice." Fujika leaned forward on her desk and regarded them carefully. "It has been a while since Konoha has had any contact with the Capitol, I am interested to hear of the developments there."

"As I'm sure you've heard, Konoha recently repelled an allied invasion between the forces of Suna and Oto, led by Orochimaru, who we have found to be the leader of Oto," Jiraiya reported. "The reconstruction is steady, and while our coffers have taken a hit, they will not be depleted by this."

"Well it's good to hear that the people's tax money is being put to good work," Fujika noted dryly.

Naruto forced down a scowl and maintained his own pleasant visage. "You would be surprised at how well Konoha is being governed these days. Almost as well as the Capitol and the rest of the country."

Jiraiya turned a reproachful eye on Naruto while Fujika frowned, the false humor in her expression dropping momentarily.

 _And there's the crack,_ Kurama noted amusedly. He loved watching his kit outwit others, it was almost as satisfying as watching him beat them into the ground.

"I'm afraid you will have to be more specific, Naruto-san," Fujika said slowly. "Despite graciously accepting my citizen's tax money, we rarely receive word on the actual governing of our Hidden Village. As is the case in other countries, you shinobi tend to keep to yourselves. What similarities do you see between your village and my country?"

Naruto smiled, he pumped a little more chakra to his throat to make his voice a bit louder with out having to change pitch or tone. "Well, I haven't been around muh of the country as of yet, so my knowledge is mostly extrapolation based on what I've seen while staying in your city. What I do know is that tensions have been mounting between the Lands of Fire, Earth, and Lightning. This has created an atmosphere of unease, though the people make a concentrated effort to ignore it. Judging by the separation of the classes, the poor are either taxed too greatly, or their taxes are not being put to great use. I'm inclined to believe the latter after seeing the opulence of the upper class nearer to the palace and the center of the city. The people are not happy, and their dissatisfaction with their sovereign grows as he seemingly does nothing while the Shogun's military forces grow and become more corrupt while still gaining the general approval of the public. Like Konoha, this indicates a more internal power struggle, and like Konoha you're desperately doing everything you can to actually help your subjects while also wrestling with others for power behind your father's back."

Jiraiya fully anticipated having to fight their way out of the palace, if not the whole capitol, at the impudence in Naruto's observations. He too had seen the unrest as he walked the streets below, but his mission was simply to report on Konoha's status and help Asuma with his investigation. Now, they were going to be at best imprisoned because Naruto couldn't keep his big mouth shut.

 _I liked it better when the kid was mute,_ Jiraiya thought bitterly. Much to his surprise though, Fujika did not immediately call for guards to take them away. Instead, she seemed to crumple under Naruto's words and his unblinking stare. He was even more surprised when tears started streaming down her face and a sob ripped its way out of her throat.

"H-how did you know?"

Naruto shrugged. "I'm observant."

Swallowing her tears, Fujika attempted to recompose herself before continuing. "I don't know what to do," she whispered. "My father's country is falling to corruption behind his back, and all everyone ever does is blame him."

"We might be able to help you," Jiraiya offered. "If the political situation is as bad as you say, then it may have something to do with the other mission we're here for."

*(OoO)*

"So, what do we know?" Konan asked. Jiraiya and Naruto had returned from their meeting with the Princess of the Land of Fire, and had told everyone to gather their things for they had been offered rooms in the palace. Naruto could now be seen out the window, training in one of the palace's many gardens. The rest of them sat in a common room while Jiraiya and Asuma debriefed them.

"We know that there's unrest in the capitol and the Shogunate is amassing power," Jiraiya started.

"Which confirms what my contact told us about looking into the military for further leads," Asuma added.

"Which means we should look into who would benefit the most from assassinating the Daimiyo," Shikamaru reasoned.

"That's easy," Ino said. "The princess. If her dad dies, then she becomes the new Daimiyo."

"Not necessarily," Konan countered. "The princess is sixteen. A regent will take her place until she reaches the age of majority, which is eighteen for civilians in the Land of Fire."

"Who would run things if the Daimiyo croaked then?" Tayuya asked.

"Any number of people," Jiraiya said. "The decision is either made by the Daimiyo on his deathbed or selected by a council of elders, much like in Konoha."

"Could the Shogun be chosen as the new regent?" Chouji asked.

Asuma shook his head. "No, the Shogun is forbidden from partaking in most politics, focusing instead on running the military."

"So why should we be suspecting him?" Ino asked.

"I never said we should, simply that we should look into the military."

Naruto rolled his eyes as he listened to his comrades go back and forth as they discussed their next move. He desperately wished he could trade places with his shadow clones who were off furthering his and Tsunade's agendas instead of running through drills. Memories from a quickly created and dismissed clone told him that the first of his clones was in position.

Sitting down and closing his eyes, he focused on the chakra signature of his clone.

*(OoO)*

Naruto leapt down silently on to the balcony, scoffing at the lax security as he gently rapped on the glass. He waited patiently for the doors to opened and smiled when he saw Fujika's confused expression. She stood before him in a nightgown, eyebrow raised as she tried to hide her fear behind her curiosity.

"Naruto-san, what are you doing here?"

"No need to worry, Fujika, I'm not here to hurt you. I just wanted to talk."

"And what could be so important that you would break into my chambers in the middle of the night?" Fujika asked. "Have you discovered anything pertaining to the people who want to kill my father?"

Naruto shook his head. "I'm afraid not, the others are still discussing our next move, so I took the opportunity to complete my other task."

"The one your Hokage sent you to discuss with my father?"

"That's right. But seeing as we've already established that you're the one who actually handles these things, I might as well talk with you."

Fujika narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "And why not bring Jiraiya-san with you?"

"This has little to do with him," Naruto explained. "The Hokage isn't even aware of everything I'm about to share with you."

"That sounds dangerously close to toeing the line of treason, Naruto-san," Fujika replied.

"Most would consider it so, yeah," Naruto conceded. "How secure are your chambers?"

"I hired a private fuuinjutsu master to layer several different security seals over the standard ones," Fujika said. "Why?"

"Because I don't want us overheard. Would you mind if I set up my own privacy seals as well?"

"So you are a seal master as well, now?" Fujika asked amusedly.

"Not by any stretch of the imagination," Naruto answered with a laugh. "But neither are those nowadays who carry that title, and I'm a fair bit ahead of them."

"You expect me to believe that a boy of thirteen years is ahead of men and women who have studied the most complicated chakra art for the majority of their lives?" Fujika wasn't amused anymore.

Naruto was equally serious. "I do, and once I've put up my seals, I will explain myself. It will only take a second."

"Fine," Fujika grumbled and marched over to her bed, taking a seat while Naruto pulled out a slip of paper with extremely complicated designs covering every inch of it. Placing it on the center of her bed, he sat opposite her and activated it. Fujika looked amazed at the strange translucent bubble of air surrounding her bed now.

"There," Naruto declared. "Now no one will know what's being said as long as we remain within this bubble."

"So you are now free to explain everything to me?" Fujika asked irritably.

Naruto nodded and proceded to tell her his story, not leaving out anything. Fujika's irritation twisted into a roiling pit of sadness for the boy whose life was ruined by those he was forced to keep safe, and rage at the villagers who would treat a little boy so horribly, regardless of circumstance. As he finished his tale, she felt tears once more gather in the corners of her eyes.

"Can I see it? Your arm?" Naruto nodded and shifted on the bed. He unraveled his scarf and pulled off his hoodie and gloves. Fujika gasped at the horrid scar on his throat, and couldn't stop the whimper from tearing itself through her throat when he pulled off his chain mesh shirt, revealing the countless scars marring his torso and the dark, metal arm attached to his right side. "I'm so sorry," she whimpered.

"Don't be," Naruto smiled. "It's because of how terrible my life has been that I've gotten the opportunity to meet all my precious people. And because of that, I have the chance to change things for the better."

"Why?" Fujika asked. "Why try to change Konoha? Couldn't you just leave?"

"I could, but as long as there's one person in that village worth defending, I'm going to dedicate my life to making it a better place."

Fujika smiled at the resolute determination burning behind Naruto's eyes and nodded. "If that's the case, then I would be honoured to help you however I can, Naruto-san."

"I appreciate that," Naruto replied with a smile.

"So, what is your plan, and how can I help?"

"Well, the first step is returning Konoha to what it's supposed to be," Naruto explained. "At the moment, it's filled with corruption and more divided than it has ever been. As the last son of the Uzumaki, Namikaze, and Sunju clans, I came here to make an offer of alliance, and as the son of the Hokage, I was entrusted with telling you that the Village Hidden in the Leaves will be moving towards properly supporting her country."

"How would this proposal work?" Fujika incquired.

"By throwing your support behind my clans, it shows the other ninja clans where you stand and will help with reducing some of the tension in the village. I've already told you that I have garnered control of ROOT, the secret black ops force in Konoha, and when the time is right, the former head will be headed here to act as both ambassador for the Land of Fire's shinobi forces, and to help however else he can. So long as you work towards the interests of the Land of Fire, he will be a great ally."

"And what would I get out of this alliance?"

"When I said we wanted to return to properly supporting our country, I meant it. We're already working towards finding more missions that will benefit the Land of Fire in one way or another. We want to go back to the way things used to be, where we were a proper part of the military, performing missions the members of the Shogunate can't and taking jobs that will bring in money to our village."

Fujika sat silently for several minutes, thinking over the offer and the possible consequences of taking a side in the matters of a shinobi village. Finally, her mind made up, she spoke.

"Those terms are agreeable, though I would like to know why you are going to such lengths to forge peace between your village and the rest of the country."

"Tensions are rising all around the world," Naruto explained. "I was told that there was a great conflict coming, and if it turns out we can't avoid it, I'd like to have as many allies on my side as possible. That being said, I would like to avoid any conflicts I can. Konoha has already suffered through one invasion, I'd like to change it before the current leadership leads it right into another war."

"Another shinobi war would be the perfect catalyst for the Elemental Nations to finally escalate past simple border skirmishes," Fujika remarked.

"That's why we need to speak to the Shogun," Naruto said confidently.

*(OoO)*

Morning had come, and Naruto was sleeping alone in his room at the royal palace. His clone's talk with Fujika had gone far better than he expected, and now they just had to get the Shogun on their side and he would have the support of the Land of Fire backing him. At the moment, though, he was disturbed by a knock on the door to his room. Everyone else had gone out to continue investigating who was planning to take out the Daimiyo. Konan had already foiled the attempt of one bandit who had managed to sneak through the security and reach the inner chambers of the palace, and as such had placed herself, Tayuya, and Guren on guard duty over the ever elusive ruler. Groaning, Naruto dragged himself out of bed and shuffled towards the insistent knocking. He quickly awoke when he felt the two massive chakra presences on the other side of the door, and had a good idea who it was. Thinking fast, he created a clone who leapt out the window while activating the seal on his throat so that Konan, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Zabuza, and Guren could hear what was going on.

Opening the door, Naruto smiled sleepily at the two men standing in front of him garbed in black cloaks with red clouds. "Can I help you?"

"Naruto Uzumaki?" Itachi asked. Naruto nodded in confirmation. "I'm going to need to ask you to come with us."

Naruto looked between the two, taking note of Itachi's partner. While Itachi himself radiated a quiet danger, Naruto could feel Kisame's potent chakra like a mist that filled the room. He had read about Kisame and knew of his nickname, The Tailless Tailed Beast. If what he was feeling was anything to go by, the name was not unearned (though it annoyed Kurama to no end that a human was even being considered on the same level as him and the other Beasts), as Kisame's chakra was almost as great as Shikaku's.

 _Careful Kit,_ Kurama warned. _These two are way beyond your skill level, and I'm willing to bet they won't care too much about collateral damage either._

Naruto acknowledged his father's warning and nodded. "Alright, I'll go with you."

Both Itachi and Kisame's eyes widened. "Wow, Itachi, I really didn't think that would work." They led him out the door and he followed them.

"So you are Itachi Uchiha," Naruto confirmed. "I heard you stopped by my house in Konoha after paying your little brother a visit." Itachi said nothing, but Naruto could tell he was listening. "You know I've read all about you. It couldn't have been easy, taking on your entire clan. But then again, a single candle is all that's needed to light the shadows cast by the trees."

Itachi and Kisame froze and turnbed around. "How do you know those words?" Itachi asked.

"Itachi, you said no one knew the key phrase anymore," Kisame said quietly.

"I told you, I read _all_ about you," Naruto replied. "Also, Jiraiya is on his way so you might want to make yourselves scarce."

Itachi frowned and stared at Naruto, seemingly trying to see through him. Suddenly he turned around and started walking away. "Come along, Kisame, we can't risk fighting a Sannin. We will see you again Naruto-kun, and we will get answers."

"Don't worry, you will," Naruto replied. Itachi and Kisame disappeared, and a moment later Jiraiya appeared next to him.

"Mind telling me what that was about?"

"Not at the moment. Once we're done here, I'll explain it to you. All you need to know is that Itachi is on our side."

"Your secrets are starting to get tiring, Naruto," Jiraiya noted. "You know we're on your side, right?"

Naruto nodded. "That's why I plan on telling you what I know, but not now."

"Fine, but you will be telling me."

"Have you guys learned anything new?" He asked desperate to change the subject.

Jiraiya nodded. "There's an ambassador from the Land of Lightning arriving here in a couple days. The Daimiyo wants to negotiate a trade deal in hopes that the tensions between the two countries ease a bit."

"An assassination attempt would be the perfect thing to destabalize relations," Naruto concluded.

"My thoughts exactly. Whoever is planning this attack wants to try and spark a war between the Lands of Fire and Lightning."

"That narrows it down," Naruto muttered sarcastically. They were interrupted by a messanger ran down the hall and bowed to them.

"Pardon me, Jiraiya-sama, but Fujika-hime wishes to speak with Uzuamki-san privately."

Naruto nodded. He turned to leave but paused for a moment in thought. "I think you might be right," he muttered. "About me needing to trust more."

Jiraiya placed a hand on his godson's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. "You've been alone long enough, Naruto. Whatever you've been working on in the shadows, we know it's only to help further your goals of peace and protection, that's why we haven't done anything. But I'm on your side, and your mom is the Hokage, we're both in positions to help you."

"Even if my goals go against what's in the village's best interest?"

Jiraiya frowned thoughtfully before the smile returned to his face. "Maybe it's about time we start rethinking what the village's best interests are."

Naruto smiled and basked in the warmth flooding his chest. "Will you come with me to this meeting? I think it's about time I share some information with you and mom."

 **A/N: Yet another chapter, yet another dump of information with little action. Woops. Hopefully, the political crap isn't too dull as I'm trying to slow the pace down a bit as I move through this arc. I also know a few people were expecting a bit more action with Itachi, and I apologize for that, but a big thing I'm trying to show is how Naruto's pacifist nature causes him to find ways around fights, especially when he's up against two people who outclass him by such a large margin (at least he thinks the margin is that large), and generally only resorts to fighting when he absolutely has to. Anyway, thanks again for reading and telling me what you think. I'll see you guys next time, probably after I've gotten done celebrating Canada Day.**


	19. Chapter 19

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples. The information that Naruto had shared through the seal on their necks while he and Jiraiya met with the Fire Princess was surprising to say the least. To think her son had gone behind everyone's backs and managed to put _Danzo_ beneath his thumb. She wasn't sure if she should be proud of him, or angry that he kept such a big secret. She understood why Naruto had to keep his connections to the shadowy organization a secret, especially when Hiruzen was in charge. Her old sensei would never go along with her son's plans for putting ROOT to good use. The means of recruitment and training may have been deplorable, but Tsunade couldn't deny the use of having a squadron of high-level black ops shinobi who could perform missions that even Konoha couldn't without facing dire consequences due to accountability.

Ultimately, she settled on sadness. It was a harsh reminder of how much Naruto's past affected him if even now, after years of knowing him, he couldn't even trust his own mother. She sobbed quietly as he explained that he didn't want her to have to choose between her duty as a kunoichi, and later as Hokage, and him. He seemed determined to shield as many people as he could from the inevitable consequences that associating with him while he rebelled against a system that was broken.

She and Jiraiya agreed with his plans to send Danzo to the capitol to help Fujika however he could, and was interested to learn about where Itachi's loyalties supposedly lied. He explained that Hiruzen had given him permission to look through _all_ of Konoha's files, making Naruto the one person in Konoha with clearance as high as Tsunade's, and the only one who had put it to use so thouroughly that he knew of every secret Konoha possessed.

Mixed with his razor wit, encyclopedic knowledge, critical and lateral thinking skills, and his obstinate refusal to give up, it was clear that Naruto was already well on his way to a position among the legendary leaders of the past. If only he could trust those he would lead.

*(OoO)*

"So, Itachi was a spy the whole time," Konan concluded. She and Naruto were walking the halls of the royal palace, on the lookout for any dangers while Jiraiya and Fujika spoke to the Shogun. Fujika had said that the Shogun was an old and proud man, and while he would be more amenable to returning to the old ways of working with the shinobi forces than many of the other high ranking members of the military, she had informed them that it would do them no favours if he found out that the mind behind their plans was a thirteen year old boy.

Naruto was more than a little put out that he was being kicked out of the meeting _he_ had arranged. He couldn't even hear what they were talking about as the Shogun turned out to be a seal master whose skill paralleled Jiraiya's and paranoia mirrored Naruto's own. All he knew about the man was that he was the greatest warrior in the Land of Fire, much the same as the Hokage was the strongest in the village.

"Yup. And it looks like Kisame isn't completely loyal either."

"I'm not terribly surprised by that," Konan remarked. "Kisame has almost as many issues with trust as you do. I doubt he believed a word Madara said to him."

"I doubt he believed that was Madara at all."

Konan turned a raised eyebrow to him. "You don't sound so sure yourself."

Naruto shrugged. "I'm not. We may live in a world where anything is possible, but my gut tells me that there's another explaination for this. Who he is doesn't matter, we'll stop him either way. He's not my primary concern at the moment, though."

"You're more concerned with the delegation from the Land of Lightning?"

"More like the shinobi who are tailing them. Hidden Villages don't send their shinobi on bodyguard missions if it involves their own country and another, it provides too many opportunities for sabotage. Whoever sent these ones is trying to start something. Especially because Dad tells me there's another Jinchuriki among them."

"Why would Kumo send their own shinobi here if they knew that?" Konan asked. "It doesn't make sense."

"It does if someone's manipulating things from behind the scenes. Maybe the same person who hired that wandering clan to attack the meeting between the Fire and Earth businessmen and blame Han-nii," Naruto explained.

"But to what end?" Konan wondered.

Naruto sighed and rested his hands behind his head. "I dunno. All we can do is play defensively until they show their hand."

Konan smiled and reached over to grab Naruto's hand. "It doesn't matter if it's Akatsuki, Madara Uchiha, or some unknown third player, I'll stand by your side until the very end."

Naruto looked into her sincere, burnt orange eyes and returned the smile. "You have no idea what that means, Hasa-chan." He put his arms around her waist while Konan raised her own to wrap around his neck.

"Naruto-kun, you saved me from commiting unspeakable acts in the name of a false peace. Before we met, I was willfully ignoring the manipulation of one of my best friends. I allowed Tobi to wrap Nagato up with his dark words, and pervert our dreams. You showed me that I could return to the path I thought I had left behind long ago, and for that I will always stand by your side."

Konan's cheeks burned as she leaned against the nearby wall, pulling Naruto closer to her. They were close enough to be sharing breaths when her resolve broke and she surged forward that last inch.

Naruto's lips were warm as they moved against her own, and Konan couldn't stop the small whimper as he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. The ambient chakra that Naruto emmited, surrounded her, wrapping her in a blanket of security and warmth, as she lost herself in him. She briefly worried that he would pull away. She was the oldest of the girls who she knew were vying for his attention, and feared that her age and her inexperience would disappoint him. Instead, Naruto just held her close and gently led her through the motions, content to go at whatever pace she was comfortable with. They pulled apart when they felt three small presences hiding around the corner, watching them.

"Ino," Naruto growled, projecting his voice down the hall as he rested his forehead on Konan's. "What do you want?"

Ino sheepishly walked out of her hiding place, dragging Chouji and Shikamaru behind her. "Sorry, Naruto, we didn't mean to, er… interrupt. Asuma-sensei sent us to find you. He wants the four of us to train together while he and Jiraiya go meet with the current members of the Twelve Ninja Guardians."

Naruto sighed and pulled away from Konan, placing one last peck on her lips before turning to them. "You know I'm gonna run you three ragged, right?"

All three of them had looks of deep fear on their faces as they followed him to the gardens outside.

*(OoO)*

Jiraiya sighed as he followed Asuma down the halls of the palace. The meeting with the Shogun had been long and arduous. He now understood why the man never took part in politics. The man was ill-mannered to everyone but the royal family, had little patience, and even less tact when speaking. On the other hand, he was clearly a formidable warrior. Jiraiya could tell that he would be hard pressed to keep up with him at anything less than full power, and even then it would be a struggle. His mental fortitudes were not to be underestimated either. He had quickly called him and Fujika out on not being the real masterminds behind their plans and demanded to meet with Naruto. This would definitely throw a wrench in their plans as Jiraiya had been banking on using his experience and reputation to get Yazawa to listen where Naruto would probably be laughed out of the room.

Now he and Asuma were headed to meet with the members of the Twelve Ninja Guardians. He didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling about the way this meeting was going to go. Not one to ignore his instincts, Jiraiya grabbed Asuma's shoulder as they approached the room they were to meet in and stopped him. He held up a finger for silence and created two shadow clones, one of whom transformed himself to look like Asuma. They hid behind a nearby corner and waited as the clones entered the room. Seconds after the door closed behind them, the ground shook and Jiraiya received their memories as a massive explosion rocked the palace and tore the hallway apart.

*(OoO)*

Naruto was grinning as he held Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji within prisons of ice. They struggled against the frozen pillars that held them in place, their heads the only part of them that was exposed.

"How do you keep beating us so fast?" Chouji asked.

Naruto shrugged and melted the ice, freeing them. "Practice."

"More like those eyes of yours give you an unfair advantage," Ino muttered.

"No more than any of the clan techniques you guys use," Naruto countered.

"Until you decide to steal those too," Ino spat.

Naruto frowned, confused at what she could possibly mean when the ground shook beneath his feet, and a loud shockwave ripped through the air. He turned back towards the palace and stared wide-eyed as an entire section of it collapsed in an explosion.

"Come on," he ordered. They ran towards the wreckage and he created several shadow clones to assess the damage and help wherever they could while activating his throat seal and contacting his comrades. "Is everyone okay? What happened?"

 _"Someone assassinated the Twelve Ninja Guardians,"_ Jiraiya responded. _"Asuma and I only just avoided being killed too."_

 _"It's not just the Guardians,"_ Konan added. _"We caught several low to mid rank missing-nin trying to infiltrate the Daimiyo's quarters in all the chaos._

 _"Some of them are dressed as samurai,"_ Tayuya cried with a grunt of effort.

 _"We can't tell who's on which side!"_ Guren yelled.

 _"The palace wasn't the only place hit,"_ Zabuza grunted. _"Smaller explosions have gone off around the city, the streets are in chaos."_

 _"We need to evaquate the Daimiyo,_ " Jiraiya ordered. _"Naruto do you have any clones near Fujika?"_

"One's getting her out of here as we speak," Naruto replied. "I've sent another to inform the Shogun too, and their fighting their way towards Fujika now."

 _"Alright. Tell Asuma's team to rendevouz with me. You meet up with your clones and get Fujika and the Shogun out of here. Konan, Tayuya, and Guren will escort the Daimiyo, and meet you at the nearby Fire Temple as soon as you are outside the walls and safe, contact your mom and tell her what's going on. Zabuza, you meet Naruto and help him protect the princess on the way to the temple."_

They all confirmed their orders and Naruto relayed Team 10's. He left them with the rubble and took off towards where he felt one of his clones fighting against several samurai. He arrived just as the clone was dispelled and blocked one of the rogue samurai's strikes with Eclipse while another glanced off his right shoulder.

He channeled his chakra through his blade, following his instincts, and stabbed it into the ground beneath his feet. A great pulse of energy knocked many of the nearby enemies off their feet as the ground cracked and shook. The ground was rent and uneven with great slabs of stone spearing out from where he was standing. Turning around, he quickly grabbed the older man standing next to him by the arm and shunshinned them to a nearby rooftop, out of sight.

"Not bad, kid." Naruto looked up and grinned at the Shogun. He observed the large, baggy robes concealing tightly coiled muscle. The man stood in a seemingly relaxed pose, holding his blade loosely in his left hand while his right rested against his hip. He had a square jaw and deep purple eyes that shone with mirth. His greying red hair hung loosely down his back in a loose ponytail. "That sword of yours is pretty impressive."

"Thanks," Naruto replied, pumping a little chakra to his throat to speak without his usal quiet hoarseness. "You're not too bad yourself, old man."

The Shogun laughed heartily. "I get the freeling you and me are gonna get along great, kid. Name's Yazawa, what's yours?"

"Naruto. Ero-Sennin ordered me to get you to where Fujika-hime is hiding with one of my clones and help you two get out of the city."

Yazawa grinned and pointed his sword forward. "Lead the way."

Together they cut through the forces between them and the princess. Naruto leapt around his opponents, switiching between his wind and water styles to easily flow by most of his enemies while Eclipses abilities took care of many of them around him. Yazawa had no need for such tactics. He easily overwhelmed his foes, cutting them down with lightning quick slashes, and pumping massive amounts of chakra through his own blade, creating arcs of energy that reminded Naruto of Eclipse's previous owner. They arrived at Fujika's room and Naruto sheathed Eclipse. Yazawa covered his back while he slid into his earth style, easily clearing the debris that blocked the way. Once Yazawa was inside, Naruto turned around and focused his energy. He unsheathed Eclipse and slammed it into the ground with a yell before supplementing the shockwave with his own earth manipulation. The hallway in front of the door collapsed, and he dived through the doors into Fujika's quarters, slamming them shut just as a cloud of dust was about to blast into the room.

"Fujika-hime, are you alright?" He asked.

"I will be now that you two are here," Fujika replied. "Do you have any idea what is going on?"

"Whoever it is that's plotting against you and your dad have put their plans into action. They killed the Twelve Ninja Guardians, and have set off explosions all around the city to sow chaos and spread reinforcements thin," Naruto reported. "Ero-Sennin sent me to evaquate you and Yazawa-jiji while Hasa-chan, Kessho-hime, and Ongaku-chan take care of your dad."

Yazawa nodded, all business now that he was discussing the safety of his rulers. "Lead the way, Naruto."

Naruto nodded and burst open the patio windows with a gust of wind. "Yazawa-jiji, you're way stronger than me, so you stick to Fujika-hime like glue." Yazawa nodded and Naruto leapt out the window. He closed his eyes, channeling his chakra into his Kunshugan and slammed into the ground with a mighty crash. He surprised himself when he felt the shockwave of his impact travel through the ground and kept his eyes closed while activating his eyes' primary ability. Time froze and he held perfectly still as his mind took its time to interpret the new kind of information. In his mind's eye, he saw a sort of outline of everything the shockwave of his impact with the ground had touched. From the closest samurai to the farthest ant, he could see everything within the radius of the impact. He observed the location of each of the fifty samurai in the garden around him, taking note of several of them fighting each other.

Deactivating his restriction seals, he blurred out of sight, knocking out every person in the vicinity regardless of affiliation. He kept his eyes closed and found that his every step created another small shockwave, providing him with extremely detailed information on his surroundings. Clearly he was going to need to practice with this newly acquired skill, but that was a matter for a later date. He ducked a sword swing and launched the attacking samurai into the air with a pillar of stone before ripping a piece off of it and hurtling it into the temple of another. He shifted stances without coming to a stop and sent a plume of fire at the approaching group of three, forcing them to disperse or suffer being cooked inside their armor. He stopped and activated his Kunshugan again, spreading his water chakra out to the grass beneath him, noting how the energy in the air fought him when he tried to pull the moisture from the plants, but backing off once it was free. Time restarted as a circle of water rose from the now dehydrated grass. Grunting, he channeled his wind chakra into the water as it continued to rise from the ground, freezing as he manipulated it. The massive dragon of ice roared as he directed it to take out the last of his enemies. It plowed through them, knocking them out and freezing them to the ground.

Yazawa jumped down with Fujika in his arms, and surveyed the carnage momentarily, impressed that someone as young as Naruto could do so much damage in little more than three minutes. Breathing a little faster, Naruto yanked off his glove and bit his thumb. He pumped his chakra out and summoned Ryuda, who got straight to business as another samurai rounded the corner only to be swatted aside by his tail. He was even bigger than the last time Naruto had seen him when they arrived at the capitol.

"Yo bro, what've you gotten yourself into now?" Ryuda asked with a smirk.

"Oh you know me," Naruto replied. "Always gotta be saving the princess and beating the bad guys."

Ryuda laughed and acted as additional support as Naruto led Yazawa and Fujika through the palace into the city proper. They took to the rooftops, Fujika riding on Yazawa's back as they sprinted toward the western wall of the city. Yazawa's sword was a blur as he easily cut down anyone who managed to slip by Naruto and Ryuda, who worked in perfect sync to eliminate any obsticals in their path. The enemy was rarely dressed as samurai in the city, instead being dressed like the usual bandit or missing-nin.

They reached the wall in record time, and ran up it. Naruto knocked out the guard at the top, not taking the time to discern her allegiance, and continued over to the other side.

"Zabuza, we're outside the walls on the west side of the city, where are you?"

 _"Not too far from your position. Head for the forest, I'll meet you there within the hour."_

"Alright, if you see any shinobi outside the walls that are from Kumo, do not engage. I'll explain everything when we meet up."

 _"Haku was right, it is annoying when you say that."_

Naruto chuckled and turned his attention back to the situation at hand just in time to block a kunai from deep within the trees.

"And like that, the little piggy walks right into the slaughterhouse," a voice echeoed from all around them.

"Who's there?" Naruto demanded, looking around. Out of the shadows, a figure seemed to materialize on top of a nearby tree branch. Standing above them was a man of small, sleek stature. He wore a set of brown robes, though only the left side of his torso wore them. The right side and sleeve hung limply over the dark belts that held his robes closed, exposing the wiry muscles of his torso and arm. His dark, slicked back hair and narrow, slitted eyes watching them calculatingly reminded Naruto of a deadly predator regarding its prey. The man lifted his head and sniffed the air, smiling softly as he turned his piercing gaze back on them.

"Mmm, I can smell your fear from here," the man purred. "I can't decide what is better: the little girl who would play ruler, quaking from her perch on her protector's back -oh, my dear you smell ever so sweet; or the boy who squashes his fear and impotence behind bravado and bluster. I couldn't ask for a better treat if it were delivered on a silver platter."

Naruto scolwed and covertly activated his voice seals.

"The kid asked you a question," Yazawa said calmly. "Who are you? Do you work for the rogue faction of samurai?"

The man surprised them by tilting his head back and laughing joyously. His shrill, gleeful voice rang through the forest, and Naruto fought the urge to shift uncomfortably at the sound of it.

"Oh, this is too good!" The man exclaimed. "I would have thought that the _Shogun_ of all people would be wise to our machinations! Instead it seems you're just as foolish and gullible as the rest of the piggies!"

 _"Naruto, I'm approaching your position, keep stalling,"_ Zabuza informed him.

 _"Asuma and his team are with the Daimiyo at the Fire Temple,"_ Jiraiya reported. _"The girls and I will be there soon."_

"If what you say is true," Fujika asked, barely managing to mask the quiver in her voice. Everything about this man set her on edge and she slowly slipped down from Yazawa's back just to make sure she had firm ground beneath her feet. "Then what would you gain from manipulating a rebellion inside our capitol? What is your true goal?"

The man cooed, his tone more appropriate for addressing a small animal or adorably ignorant toddler. "Aww, does the little morcel think she can gain information on our plans between her lovely squeals of agony? It doesn't matter either way, I'm not in it for the ideologies and philosophical rhetoric, so I wouldn't be of much use anyway." He paused and tapped his chin while humming thoughtfully for a moment before a wide grin stretched across his face. His straight, white teeth gleamed in the light like a row of marble gravestones. Naruto had to force down a shiver as his smile widened, as if invisible hooks were pulling his cheeks apart. His dark eyes glowed with sadistic superiority. "But, seeing as you have made me laugh more than my last five conquests combined, I will _sate_ your curiosity. My name is Chikanari Yoshimi. You ask what I gain from sacking the capitol of the Land of Fire. The answer is rather simple: it amused me."

"You're sick!" Naruto shouted while Ryuda growled his agreement.

Chikanari shook his head. "No, what's sick is not partaking in a little fun before a meal to work up an appetite. Now, I do believe I've allowed you adequate time to stall, seeing as five more piggies have lined up for the butcher. So, if we can get to business, I would like to pay a visit to that Daimiyo of yours and the little kiddies playing protector with him before nightfall."

"I wouldn't recommend that," Jiraiya stated as he appeared next to Yazawa, his arms crossed. "You're rather outnumbered, and outclassed." Guren, Konan, and Tayuya landed a moment later next to Naruto and Ryuda while Zabuza appeared on the tree brach where Chikanari stood as his cleaver sung through the air.

Chikanari was unconcerned, and with a flick of his wrist, stopped Zabuza's blade midswing with a kunai before jumping and spinning. He kicked Zabuza in the jaw, sending him rocketing toward the ground where he landed with a crash and a cloud of dust. "I don't know about outclassed," he said as he instantly appeared behind Guren, slicing the Kubikiri Hocho down her back like it was no heavier than the average kunai. Guren scream of pain was cut short as he spun, slamming the blunt side of the blade into her stomach, forcing the air from her lungs as she doubled over. He twisted himself through the air and delivered a devastating axe kick to the back of her head, sending her rolling towards the ground at near sonic speeds. Naruto reacted instinctually, creating a cushion of air that slowed her descent and carried her over to him. She was almost in his arms when Chikanari hurled the Kubikiri Hocho at Tayuya before leaping down and visciously punching Naruto across the face. Ryuda snarled and charged him while Tayuya ducked with a yelp to avoid the rapidly spinning cleaver sailing towards her neck.

Leaping away just in time to avoid a rasengan from Jiraiya and a wave of energy from Yazawa's blade, Chikanari smirked cruelly. "Unfortunately, I'm on a schedule. A rather strict one that does not account for taking the time to properly play with all of you, especially a Sannin as well as the Shogun. That's not even accounting for where I would find a proper sized freezer on such short notice. So, just this once, it seems we'll be skipping dinner and going right to the show." Chikanari raised his hand in a half ram seal and unleashed a pulse of chakra. Moments later, the sky lit up in the direction of the capitol. The earth shook, throwing many of them to the ground, the rest were lifted off their feet as a cataclysmic shockwave ripped through the air, gouging the earth in its wake.

Naruto ignored the feeling of pressurized air blasting through him, cracking and breaking several of his ribs, and desperately called on Kurama's chakra. With the surge of energy, he used his own chakra to create several small trees that wrapped around his comrades and put them behind him while a tangle of roots wrapped around his legs, keeping him in place as the air pushed harder on him. Running his chakra through the plants, he connected his own with his friends' and threw Kurama's chakra out as far as he could. He kept his eyes closed, even as the heat and light burning through his eyelids was rapidly becoming unbearable. He grunted as he found what he was looking for and prayed for success as he focused his chakra. He didn't have time to celebrate when he opened his eyes to find the air noticeably cooler and a large wooden gate that he had only seen in textbooks behind him. The heat of the explosion had ignited much of the forest and the shockwave carried the flames towards him at sonic speeds. Channeling more of his dad's chakra than he ever had before, Naruto felt like acid was flowing through his veins, his pathways not used to such unimaginable strain as they directed monstrous amounts of corrosive chakra. With a cry of pain, he raised his arms up and rocketed into the sky on a pillar of swirling winds. Floating a good hundred feet in the air, he faced down the impending cataclysm. He focused his chakra into the ground and it felt like his eyes were being stabbed with burning hot knives as he saw the strange energy more clearly than ever. Rather than an ever-present miasma that permeated everything, he now saw that it was more akin to a collection of extremely tightly woven strings. Acting on instinct, he bled his chakra through the fibers into the ground. He raised his arms with a mighty yell, and rather than fight him as he tried to synthetically manipulate the shifting of the earth, the strange energy actually helped him as it became tangled in his chakra. The earth shook once more as a truly massive wall of earth rose between himself and the oncoming shock wave. The wall curved around the sides of the temple, diverting the energy around it as it continued its destructive journey, though Naruto noted that it was nowhere near as powerful as it had been closer to the capitol.

Once certain the danger had passed, Naruto lowered himself back down to the ground. He released his father's chakra, and only had enough energy to blearily watch the wall crumble harmlessly into a pile of stone while several voices called his name before darkness swallowed him.

 **A/N: Happy Canada Day! Hopefully that's some interesting action for you guys. And while it will be addressed later, I'm going to preemptively say that for the most part, Naruto actually managing to pull of a Hiraishin and manipulate the nature energy were flukes. So don't worry, he's not going to be teleporting around everywhere in sage mode for a little while yet. That aside, I hope you guys don't hate Chikanari. He's going to be popping up every now and then, and I wanted to make him completely bonkers, but I don't know how well I did. I wanted an enemy that Naruto wouldn't be able to reason with, no matter how hard he tried, and Chikanari is the introduction into that. Anyways, thanks for reading and I can't wait to hear what you think. I'll see you guys next time!**


	20. Chapter 20

Anko scowled as she walked down the street towards Naruto's house. She was used to the glares from the occasional villager, but this was getting insane. She opened the front gate to his estate and slipped through with Ryuki on her heels. She opened the front door, and Ryuki immediately ran through the living room to the backyard where the other guard dragons were curled up in the sun next to the large blue lightning dragon who had replaced Ryuda after the incident with Itachi. She sighed and shuffled over to the couch where Kurenai was stretched out, reading a book, and collapsed on top of her best friend.

Kurenai was seemingly unfazed, having long gotten used to Anko's behaviour, and simply raised her arms so that Anko could wiggle forward and rest her head on Kurenai's chest with an exaggerated groan. Finishing her page and marking her place, Kurenai closed the book and lightly tossed it onto the coffee table. "Rough day?" She asked as she brought her hands up to wrap around her good friend.

"You have no idea." Anko's voice was muffled as she moaned into Kurenai's cleavage. "Pretty much everyone at T&I thinks that I betrayed Inoichi for Naruto. The only one who will even talk to me is Ibiki, and even he has to be careful not to get too chummy or else lose his position. I feel like I did back when that snake left me for dead."

"I'm here for you, Anko-chan," Kurenai murmured as she pulled Anko closer. "Back then, you were all alone. Now you have me, Hinata, Haku, and the others, as well as Tsunade-sama and Shizune-san, and don't forget Naruto."

"I know," Anko conceded. "It's just hard dealing with more hate because of who I'm choosing to associate with. Especially when that hate is completely unfounded. And with the tension around the village getting even higher lately… I just don't know how he did it. Why doesn't he just leave?"

"He might have to."

Anko and Kurenai turned their heads to see Tsunade walking down the stairs. She looked even more exhausted than Anko felt, and judging by the way she collapsed into the nearest armchair, they couldn't help but wonder what had happened that would deprive their leader of so much rest.

"What do you mean, Tsunade-sama?" Kurenai asked.

"One of the reasons I sent Naruto to the capitol was to speak with the Daimiyo and Shogun and propose an offer of alliance between the Uzumaki, Namikaze, and Senju clans with the royal family, and, as a result, renew Konoha's pledge of service. This would put the Daimiyo firmly on our side, providing some powerful political ties and also at the least stall a civil war as the opposition would have to openly admit that they stand against not just their Hokage, but also their Daimiyo," Tsunade explained. "Naruto's actions proved that it is possible to win the respect of those in the village, and the presence of another lightning dragon in his yard is doing wonders to convince some the more stubborn villagers of his feats and make them reevaluate their opinions of him."

"So, what does that have to do with Naruto leaving the village?" Anko incquired. "Ignoring the fact that it would take a miracle to convince him to leave this dump so long as one of his precious people are still here."

Tsunade sighed, and Kurenai and Anko could see the many years of hardship reflected in her brown eyes. "Well, up until recently, things had been going well. After finding out that the Daimiyo is currently a figurehead and that his daughter is actually the one running things, Naruto managed to reach an agreement with her. He was working on extending that alliance to the Shogun when the capitol was attacked."

"What?!" Kurenai exclaimed. "Is he okay? What about everyone else?"

Tsunade waved off her frantic worry with a tired frown. "They're fine, more or less. They had originally thought that the attack was orchestrated by a rogue faction of the military, but while evacuating the princess and the Shogun, they encountered another enemy of exceptional skill. The man taunted them, revealing that the rebellion and attempted coup was little more than a cover for some bigger plot."

"So, what's the situation in the capitol then?" Anko asked.

"There is no capitol," Tsunade replied, allowing them a moment to process their shock before continuing. "The enemy toyed with them for a little while, but backed off once Jiraiya and the Shogun decided to join in. He then remotely set off an explosion of unprecedented size before vanishing. All that's left of the capitol and the surrounding area is a massive, charred crater. They had holed up in the Fire Temple, and Naruto managed to protect the temple with the help of Kurama. Jiraiya's last report said that he's recovering from extremely severe chakra exhaustion and strain on his pathways from using so much of Kurama's chakra at once."

"What about the Daimiyo and Shogun?" Asked Kurenai.

"They're fine, thanks to Naruto. The real problem is here. Word's spreading fast about the attack on the capitol and the members of the shogunate are dividing amongst themselves while local leaders try desperately to maintain some form of control over the situation. This, plus the recent departure of everyone's favourite Uchiha has made rumors of a vote of non-confidence being somewhere on the horizon crop up around the village."

"And if you lose your position as Hokage, there isn't a lot you can do to keep any of us safe politically," Anko concluded. "Naruto especially."

Tsunade nodded grimly. "If push comes to shove, Naruto, Shizune, and I will be leaving the village. The only consolidation is that with the royal family aligned with us, if I'm ousted, Konoha loses much of its already rapidly declining power. In the meantime, we've decided to keep the details of the attack a secret. It may throw the Land of Fire into chaos, but from my point of view, that's unavoidable. With Akatsuki out there, I don't want another group of individuals after us."

"Well, if you left, we'd be right behind you," Anko declared. Kurenai nodded her agreement and Tsunade smiled.

*(OoO)*

Ino woke to the sound of soft music coming down the hall of the dormitory they were staying in. She opened the door and followed her ears towards the room where Naruto had been resting for the last two weeks. She cracked open the door and watched as Tayuya played a gentle tune on her flute while Konan and a heavily bandaged Guren sat over Naruto's sleeping form.

"You can come in," Konan said, not taking her eyes off Naruto.

Ino froze before slowly opening the door and taking a seat on the floor near Naruto's feet. She looked at the other women sitting around him, stopping on Guren and the thick bandages wrapped around her torso. "Shouldn't you be resting as well?"

"The same could be said for you," Guren replied. "It's well past midnight, and your team is taking the first shift helping the monks guard the Daimiyo."

"Well, I was, but I heard Tayuya playing and was curious."

"Curious about what?" Konan asked.

"Him." Ino nodded towards Naruto. "Before we left the village, my father warned me to steer clear of him. At first, I just went with it, I didn't know Naruto as anything other than the annoying prankster he was in the academy, and figured my dad wasn't a fan of him either. But as I watched him train with you all, I started to wonder. He's one of the few from our academy class to actually make chunin, even though he was the dead last of the class and had failed the exam three times before showing up on team selection day with a forehead protector. I've heard the rumors that you three are all at least jonin level kunoichi, so seeing him spar against you and that Zabuza man was a shock before I learned that his dojutsu gives him an even bigger advantage than Sasuke-kun's Sharingan."

"How so?"

"Well, everyone knows the Sharingan can copy any jutsu except bloodlines, yet Naruto was able to use the ice release, which means his dojutsu can copy even those. Of course Naruto would be as strong as he is if he's absorbing so many unique abilities. Which might be why Daddy wants me to be careful around him, so he doesn't take the Mind Transfer techniques too."

The music stopped abrubtly and Ino looked up to see Tayuya glowering at her.

"You're an idiot," Tayuya growled. "And if Naruto heard you say that his power was anything like the Sharingan's, you probably would have been frozen to the wall with a kunai through your neck."

"The Kunshugan is nothing like the Sharingan," Konan added. "All it does is allow Naruto to see how the chakra of those specific elements is mixed. He can't copy techniques at all, and the only bloodlines he can use are advanced elemental releases. Everything Naruto has is due to his own hard work and determination. In fact, Naruto despises the Sharingan for its ability to copy jutsu. He feels that it's cheating and has been working himself to the bone to develop a fighting style that can't be copied."

"So why would my dad and Chouji's warn us about him?" Ino asked. "I don't understand."

"Naruto is hated by most in the village," Guren told her. "Many of them see him as a threat to their way of life and would rather see him dead than have things start to change. Naruto believes in a set of ideals that many see as wrong or dangerous and as such have been working against him from the moment he became a shinobi."

Ino sat quietly, thinking over what she had learned while Naruto groaned beneath them. Slowly, his eye opened and Tayuya, Konan, and Guren rushed to bend over him and inspect him for injury.

After several minutes of reassuring them he was fine, and several more of Guren returning the sentiment once he saw her bandages, Ino was told to go wake up Jiraiya and Asuma so they could decide what their next move would be.

By the time Jiraiya, Asuma, Fujika, and Yazawa were gathered in a random dojo, joined by a tall bald monk with dark eyes and thick eyebrows named Chiriku and an elderly monk with a thick, silver beard that reached past his belt who identified himself as Baisho, the elder of the Fire Temple, the sun was beginning to rise in the east. Tayuya, Konan, and the members of Team 10 had been relegated to helping the other monks guard the temple, while Guren kept Naruto company as he made use of one of the temple's training grounds.

"Before we begin, may I ask where the Daimiyo is?" Baisho incquired.

"Unfortunately, the recent events have taken a deep toll on my father," Fujika explained. "He is resting while I represent him."

Baisho nodded while Jiraiya began. "Near as our informants can tell, the situation in the Land of Fire is rapidly declining as anarchy slowly spreads out from the captiol. The samurai of the Shogunate are divided amongst themselves due to the coup cover story, while also trying to help more local leaders maintain order and defend them from a sudden influx of bandits and the like. We've tried to spread word of the Daimiyo's survival, but it doesn't seem to be having as much of an effect as we hoped. Especially considering almost every other high ranking leader from around the country was living in the capitol when it was destroyed."

"What of the other nations?" Yazawa asked.

"The general consensus is to wait and let the Land of Fire rip itself apart before coming in and claiming the remains. The other Hidden Villages are not as interested, but seem to be keeping an eye on things, especially with Konoha being so fresh from yet another invasion. They seem to be reluctant to do anything terribly overt as their nations are watching them closely, considering only a shinobi could do something of this scale. However, reports of cloud shinobi within the capitol are circulating. It won't take long for someone to act on those rumors."

"What of Konoha?" Fujika chimed in. "It seems that if anyone were to come after Yazawa and my father that would be an ideal place to keep them safe."

"Unfortunately, Konoha is on shaky ground politically at the moment as well. If you came, it might help Tsunade with easing some of the tensions, but Yazawa would lose the loyalty of many samurai."

"What do you mean by shaky ground politically?" Chikiru incquired.

"There are rumors of a vote of non-confidence somewhere in the not too distant future," Jiraiya supplied. "If the civilians and more than half the shinobi clans are in agreement, they can oust the current Hokage and elect a new one."

"Those bastards!" Asuma cursed. "Tsunade-sama hasn't done anything wrong! I thought I was done with politics when I left the Twelve."

"Not to us, but a few days after we left, Sasuke Uchiha left the village. Tsunade wanted to brand him a missing-nin, but the council insists that he was kidnapped."

"So, if Tsunade-sama is deposed, what will we do?"

"I have already told Naruto-san that the royal family will stand by him and his kin. We have already agreed on an alliance between my family and the clans Senju, Namikaze, and Uzumaki," Fujika stated. "Whatever happens, I and my family will stand by our oath."

"Fujika-hime, what are you talking about?" Yazawa asked, struggling to control his shock.

"Naruto is the last male member of the Uzumaki, Namikaze, and Senju clans," Jiraiya explained. "Tsunade is his adopted mother, while his birth parents were Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. As such, Tsunade thought he would be uniquely qualified to forge a new alliance with both you and the Daimiyo. It's his wish to unite and protect everyone he considers precious, and to that end, we were trying to re-establish the agreement between shinobi village and sovereign nation in the hopes of properly uniting the country."

"You mean to tell me that kid is an Uzumaki?" Yazawa whispered.

Jiraiya nodded. "He might not look like one, but I can personally attest to his heritage. He's also the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox."

"He doesn't seem like one," Chiriku noted. "His temperament is completely unlike what I've heard they are like."

Asuma, Yazawa, and Jiraiya narrowed their eyes, but Baisho cut in before any of them could voice their suspicions. "What he means is that he's nothing like our own Jinchuriki."

*(OoO)*

Naruto and his clones were practicing his fire style while Ryuda and Guren sat in the shade of a nearby cherry blossom tree. The monks had provided him with a set of robes as his clothes were barely more than scraps after being so close to the explosion. He had accepted the robes, though still wore his orange scarf and gloves which had repair seals woven into their fabric and reconstructed themselves as soon as they were given chakra and material. Surprisingly, the robes felt strangely comfortable on Naruto's body. He had assumed that their general bagginess would hamper his movements, but was impressed to find that they offered him full mobility without getting in the way. He was contemplating moving forward to practice with actual fire manipulation –weighing the pros and cons of heavily restraining himself for fear of collateral damage –when he felt the presence of another jinchuriki. This one was different from the one he had felt in the capitol, who Kurama told him was still somewhere nearby.

 _Dad, why does it feel like your watching me?_ Naruto asked.

 _I'm not too sure,_ Kurama replied. _He's coming this way, keep on your guard._

Naruto acknowledged the warning and continued training, gently shaking his head when he saw Guren had noticed their voyeur as well. He stopped and turned around when the intruder approached the edge of the training ground. Watching him was a boy about his age with straight, grey-blue hair that fell to his shoulders. He had brown eyes and was frowning as he stared at Naruto, completely ignoring the other two. He wore the standard robe of the monks around the temple, though his right sleeve was longer and covered his hand.

"So, you're the one who stopped the temple being destroyed," the boy stated coolly. Naruto nodded, watching the boy in front of him carefully. "Fight me."

Naruto shook his head, as he always did when some stuck up teme challenged him, and turned to walk over and check on Guren.

"I don't think he appreciated you giving him the brush off," Guren noted, fighting valiantly to quell the blush as Naruto checked the bandages on her back. She whimpered as he started rubbing his hands over her tense and sore muscles, channeling a minute amount of fire chakra to help with the tension.

True to her words, the boy stomped over and glared down at Naruto as he focused on what he was doing. "You deaf or something? I challenged you to a fight!"

Naruto removed his hands from Guren's back and looked up at him. "I heard," he croaked. "No point in fighting you."

The boy growled as Naruto rose to his feet and rejoined his clones as they sparred. "What do you mean there's no point?" He called.

"He means that he doesn't have anything to prove to you," Ryuda growled. "You saw his little display of power a couple weeks ago, and you want to test your strength against him. Why should he waste his time crushing your ego when he has better things to do?"

Anger boiling over at being ignored, the boy drew a three-bladed claw on his left hand and rushed into the training ground, ripping an unsuspecting clone to shreds. Naruto and his clones froze as the boy stared them down. Sighing, he dispelled the clones, and addressed the boy in front of him.

"What's your name?"

"Sora, I'm a monk-in-training under the teaching of Chiriku." Cockiness radiated off of him as it seemed Naruto had finally accepted his challenge.

"What's with your right arm?" Naruto asked, throwing Sora off balance.

Sora's demeanor immediately became defensive. "Who says there's anything wrong with my arm?"

"I do. Why else would you keep it covered?"

"That's none of your business!"

"Does it have to do with why you feel like a jinchuriki?"

Sora's mouth snapped shut and his eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

"You give off the same feeling as a jinchuriki, though way weaker than any others," Naruto explained, sending chakra to his throat. "Considering I know you don't have the Nine-Tails sealed in you, my best guess is someone got a hold of some of his chakra and put it in you when you were younger. Considering your reaction just now, whatever it is that makes you ashamed to show your right arm has something to do with you having Nine-Tails chakra."

"Shut up!" Sora roared. He charged at Naruto, and swung his claw through the air. Naruto blocked it effortlessly with Eclipse and jumped away. "I'm not ashamed of anything!"

"Than why hide it?" Naruto asked simply.

"Fine, you wanna see it? I'll show it to you!" Sora reached up and removed the right side of his robes from his torso, revealing an arm wrapped in bandages. Naruto felt the pulse of chakra and his eyes widened when the bandages exploded off and drifted to the ground in shreds. Sora's right arm was a dark murky red, and covered in what looked almost like scales. His hand was similarly disfigured and each finger was tipped with sharp claws. Clearly this caused Sora quite a bit of pain as Naruto saw him clench his teeth and briefly grab his arm while the transformation took place. "Now do you see? They already think I'm some kind of monster, why would I want to prove them right?! I have to train day in and day out just so that the other monks don't think I'm just some sort of attack dog who got dropped on their doorstep!"

Naruto sheathed Eclipse and frowned sadly. Sora snarled at the look in his eyes and charged. Naruto dodged to the side as Sora swiped his beastly arm through the air, creating a powerful blast of air. He continued to dance around Sora's attacks making him more and more agitated, especially when Naruto would retaliate with his own gust of wind. Spinning around another blast of air, Naruto noticed that Sora's attacks were steadily gaining power while losing control as a shallow trench was dug through the ground from the force of the attack, coming dangerously close to Guren and Ryuda. He dropped to the ground and swept his foot in a kick, the accompanying gust of air blew Sora's feet from underneath him, Acting fast, Naruto jumped up and spun, building up a blast of air that he unleashed with both feet. The attack slammed into Sora as he tried to regain his balance and slammed him into the ground. He quickly created bindings of wood that wrapped around Sora, paying attention to apply several more around his right arm. Activating his Kunshugan, Naruto focused on using his own chakra to siphon Kurama's out of Sora and into the roots binding him. He froze time as soon as he realized that Kurama's chakra was making him lose control of the roots, and took the time to formulate a plan.

 _So, pullng your chakra out of him isn't an issue, it's controlling it that's the problem,_ Naruto surmised.

 _My and the other Tailed-Beasts' chakra is far more potent than that of humans,_ Kurama replied. _If he were a proper jinhuriki, you wouldn't be able to do more than supress the chakra back into him. Unfurtunately, that's also where our problem lies. It's hard enough fighting against the influence of the nature energy to creat the Wood Release, but my chakra is almost pure life energy and absorbs nature energy with ease._

 _Then, instead of pulling your chakra out of him, I should force it back in?_

 _For the moment, if that arm of his is any indicator, whatever my chakra is doing to him can't be good._

Naruto nodded, breaking his hold over time, and started focusing on supressing Kurama's chakra back into Sora. Sora's struggling died down as his mind cleared, and his arm started returning to a more human form. It retained its dark colouring, and Naruto could see that the scales were actually tufts of hardened fur that softened and shortened as the flow of Tailed-Beast chakra ceased.

"What did you do to me?" Sora questioned.

"The wood release has the ability to supress the chakra of the Tailed-Beasts." They both turned to see Jiraiya joined Baisho, Chiriku, Fujika, and Yazawa watching from a position next to Ryuda and Guren. "Naruto noticed you were starting to lose control and used it to bring you back to your senses."

Naruto released the technique and reached down to help Sora to his feet. He turned to Jiraiya and started signing. Jiraiya raised an eyebrow momentarily, but shook his head. "You can talk to Sora later. Right now, Yazawa-sama wants to speak to you."

This time Naruto raised an eyebrow and turned to Yazawa who approached him while Sora sheepishly went to stand by his mentor and elder. Coming to a stop in front of him, Naruto saw no trace of the brash old man he had met while fleeing the palace. In his place was a man who had seen and fought in more battles than anyone else, and come out victorious from most. He saw a man whose strength earned him victory, whose victories earned him merit, and whose merit earned him the title of Shogun.

"Is your name truly Naruto Uzumaki?" Yazawa asked seriously. Naruto nodded, resting his hand on Eclipse's handle as his muscles tensed. He knew there was no world where he could possibly stand a chance against one of the greatest warriors in the country, at least on par with his mom and Jiraiya, if not better. But, if he was lucky, he might be able to buy himself an extra second or two should things go where he thought they were going, hopefully giving Jiraiya enough time to intervene.

"Jiraiya and Fujika-hime informed me that you are the one behind the attempts at unity that would make you a traitor to your village, and as a result turn them against my ruler. Is this true?"

"In a manner of speaking," Naruto replied hoarsely.

"How so?"

"Konoha is steeped in a dangerous mixture of corruption, ignorance, and tradition. I only want to keep those precious to me safe and avert as much violence as I can. If that means rebelling against a broken system, earning the respect of those who hate me, and rising to the position of Hokage, then I'll do it."

Yazawa stared into Naruto's eyes, searching for something. Naruto wasn't sure what it was he had found that caused him to draw his sword, but Naruto immediately released the seals on his body and leapt away, drawing Eclipse, his Kunshugan swirling. He kept his guard up even as Yazawa plunged his blade –a beautiful katana, about half again as long as Eclipse and made from a sparkling white metal –into the ground and lowered to one knee with his head held down.

"I Yazawa, formerly Uzumaki, Shogun of the Land of Fire, and protector of the Royal Family, swear my alliegance under the unified banner of the Uzumaki, Namikaze, and Senju. I, and those I would command, are yours, Naruto Uzumaki, to do with as you wish in the interest of furthering your goal so long as it does not break either of the oaths of my station."

Naruto was stunned, but a gentle prodding from Kurama pushed him past the strange turn of events and he dived through his memories to formulate a proper response. He walked up to Yazawa and plunged Eclipse into the ground in front of Yazawa's own blade, sending a small amount of earth chakra through it to create a tiny shockwave for dramatic effect. He removed his gloves, and reached forward with his right hand to clasp the handle of Yazawa's blade while his left squeezed Yazawa's shoulder.

Channeling chakra to his throat, he spoke, his Kunshugan fixed on the man kneeling before him. "Rise, Yazawa, Shogun of the Land of Fire. I name you Hikari of the alliance between the clans Uzuamaki, Namikaze, and Senju and the Land of Fire. You will carry a rank equal to that of the Hokage, second only to your sovereign. Where the shinobi forces will operate from the shadows, furthering our goals through subterfuge, sabotage, and the use of ninjutsu, you will command the samurai through the light. Completing missions and working ostensibly for the people while being their first line of defence against those who would cause them harm."

Yazawa stood and Naruto drew his sword from the ground, handing it back to him in a sign of trust. Jiraiya was impressed with the way his godson had handled that, taking note of the fourth spike orbiting his Kunshugan. Now more than ever, he knew that Naruto was going to bring about a great change, not just in the Land of Fire where –though he might not be totally aware of it yet –he had just negotiated himself into maybe the highest position of power possible without having to spill a single drop of blood, but all around the world. The world was starting to experience what was probably going to be a total shift in paradigm.

He could only hope the shift didn't crush them in its wake.

*(OoO)*

Tsunade was in the living room of her house, reclining as she sipped her sake during a rare moment of peace. Kurenai and Anko were on the couch with Hinata cuddled between them, asleep from a long day of training while Haku was in another arm chair reading a scroll on the basics of medical jutsu. She smiled as she looked around the room at the little family that had formed due to the actions of one boy. Just as her thoughts were turning to how much she missed Naruto, she suddenly found herself surrounded by silvery white flames that she hadn't seen in years.

Closing her eyes against the blinding light, Tsunade opened them once the flames had dispersed and found herself standing at the top of the Hokage Monument. She wasn't alone either, as she looked around and found Kurenai, Anko, Hinata, and Haku next to her, along with Konan, Guren, Tayuya, Jiraiya, Danzo, Hiruzen, and the shrunken form of Owryudan, who towered over them all.

"Tsunade, what's going on?" Danzo asked, the barest hint of suspicion in his voice.

"I can assure you, Danzo, this wasn't me," Tsunade said.

"I called you here."

They all looked up and saw a gorgeous woman in regal clothing floating above them on a beam of moonlight. Tsunade and Owryudan immediately bowed, prompting everyone but Danzo to follow suite.

"And who might you be?" Danzo asked unflinchingly. The ground beneath their feet shook as Owryudan growled lowly.

"Mind your tongue, human," the great dragon snarled. "You may have deluded yourself into thinking you hold power, but I will not tolerate your glib attitude in my or Ameterasu-sama's presence."

Danzo inclined his head in apology and bowed as well. Tsunade smirked as she spotted the line of sweat dripping down the back of his neck.

"Ameterasu-sama, why have you come?" She asked respectfully.

Ameterasu seemed to inspect all of them before floating down to the ground. "I have been monitoring little Naruto-kun since I last saw him, and due to his recent actions, I have called you all here to speak with you."

"What recent actions would those be?"

"It would be more appropriate for your teammate to explain."

Jiraiya sighed and turned to the ten others gathered atop the mountain. "Don't ask me how, but Naruto has managed to get Princess Fujika to agree to an alliance with his clans. When I asked her about it, all she told me was that he had a perspective and vision that she found inspiring and wanted to stand behind. Once we managed to get to the Fire Temple through what might have been Naruto's first use of the Hiraishin, though I have no idea how that could be, Naruto manifested the fourth stage of his Kunshugan, and after sparring with a boy at the temple who somehow has the Nine-Tails chakra within him, the Shogun pledged fealty to Naruto and his alliance."

"You mean to tell us, Jiraiya, that a _boy_ not even fourteen years old, somehow managed to _talk_ his way into being one of the most influential people in the country?" Danzo asked skeptically.

"It is a rather tough pill to swallow," Hiruzen added. "Even for someone as charismatic as Naruto."

"If anyone could do it, Naruto-kun could," Hinata said confidently. "He wants peace, but more importantly, he wants to protect his precious people."

"Hinata's right," Tsunade agreed. "My son has grown to become quite the pacifist. If anyone could find a way to peacefully stumble his way into that much power, it would be him."

"The problem is, I don't think Naruto realises just how influential he can be," Jiraiya replied. "He's quick-witted and not easily fooled, but if he gathers followers at the rate he's going, it could lead to devastating consequences should he stray too far from his path."

"That is why I have called you here on this night," Ameterasu announced. "I have seen many possible futures, and in all those where Naruto survives whatever it is that is clouding my vision, you twelve play prominent roles in guiding him."

"Ameterasu-sama," Owryudan rumbled. "Why tell us this, but omit your machinations from the hatchling himself?"

"Naruto must never know of his future beyond what he has already learned," Ameterasu commanded. "He needs to walk this path himself, with you all guiding him. Be warned, though, if you attempt any form of manipulation, Naruto will find out, and he will eradicate you."

All eyes turned on Danzo, and he fought the urge to shift his feet. "I have already told Naruto that my loyalty lies with the village, so long as he does not take any action toward Konoha, myself and my forces will aid him."

"And when those you vow to protect turn on you," Ameterasu questioned. "What will you do then?"

"The village has long struggled against me in my efforts to serve it," Danzo replied. "I will continue to do so."

"Let's not beat arounbd the bush here," Tsunade cut in. "Danzo, you know that there is a vote of non-confidence coming. If there is a coup, where will you stand?"

Danzo remained silent for several moments. "My agents have informed me of the council's stirrings. It seems that Hiashi Hyuga is the greatest candidate for your replacement. He and I have never seen eye to eye, and I don't doubt that his first act as Hokage would be to remove any he sees as a threat."

"What if I told you Naruto has a plan that will get you out of Konoha before that happens and still put you in a position to serve your country?" Jiraiya asked.

"I would wonder why he would trust me with something of that nature."

"According to Naruto, he finds you to be transparent. He wants to put you in the position of shinobi representative as he feels that your scheming will be put to good use helping the princess and Shogun against their enemies."

"Time grows short," Ameterasu announced. "Before I return, I leave you all with this warning. Naruto may not be capable of feeling hate, but that does not mean he is without darkness, both within and without. He would never go so far as to lock away those he cares for, but should an attack be made against them, it would be the quickest way for him to lose control and destroy all you have worked for. Lastly, the ousting is inevitable, it would be wise to engineer the most peaceful transfer of power."

With that, Ameterasu disappeared in a flash of fire, returning everyone to where they had been before the summons.

 **A/N: So this marks pretty much the end of Naruto's easy gaining of allies. It's gonna be getting a lot tougher for him from here on out. That aside, a lot of you mentioned displeasure with certain people's OP-ness. In the case of Naruto, when he was sparring against Guren, Tayuya, Konan, and Zabuza, they were all going easy on him to help him grow, yet still wiped the floor with him quite handily. As for Chikanari, he is crazy strong, but he's not as horrifyingly powerful as you might think. It'll be explained a bit more later, but I did mention that he fled once Yazawa who is at least a Kage-level fighter and Jiraiya joined in. I will say that its not going to be his strength that makes him such a terrifying foe for Naruto, but you'll just have to figure that one out for yourself. Anyways, thanks for reading and telling me what you think, and I'll see you guys next time.**


	21. Chapter 21

"So what's next?" Ryuda asked as he and Naruto rested on the roof of the Fire Temple, watching the stars. "You've got the support of the princess and the Shogun. What are we going to do with it?"

"Not sure," Naruto replied. "Everything has been happening so fast, I have no idea what I'm doing. When I came to the capitol I wanted their help to keep myself, Mom, and the others safe, but now there's no more capitol and the country is so fractured that Fujika and Yazawa-jiji don't have nearly the influence they did before. On top of that, once word spreads that the Daimiyo survived, that Chikanari guy or the people he works for are bound to be back."

"You seem worried about him. What do you think he and the people he work for are after?"

"If he is part of some sort of organization, I don't know what they would gain from throwing the Land of Fire into chaos unless they come from another nation. But Danzo's spies told me that the other nations want to let us sort this out before wasting their resources on an invasion. As for Chikanari himself, I am worried. He wasn't just trying to intimidate us when he said that he set off those explosions for fun. He's clearly insane, but something about him doesn't feel right."

"Not to mention he wiped the floor with you in a matter of seconds." Naruto didn't turn his head as Tayuya joined him on the roof, but smiled nonetheless when she took a seat next to him leaning against Ryuda. "The pervert was looking for you. Probably still curious about how you somehow managed to magically transport us from one place to another."

"It was mostly a fluke," Naruto explained, activating his voice seal so Jiraiya could listen as well. "I figured there was probably a Hiraishin seal here, either from my father or the Second, so I just threw chakra in this direction and hoped something would happen."

"And what about the brat with the weird arm and Nine-Tails chakra?"

"Are you talking me or Sora?" Naruto countered with a small smirk.

Tayuya chuckled and bumped her shoulder against Naruto's. "You're not a brat."

"Reall? Sora and I are about the same age, and your, what, sixteen?"

"Fifteen, and that's not what makes him a brat. You two are so similar it's almost poetic, but at the same time you couldn't be more different."

"Maybe," Naruto conceded. "As for what we're going to do, Ero-Sennin contacted Mom. She's going to come here and examine him as well as speak to the Daimiyo on how best to move the Land of Fire forward. In the meantime, Yazawa-jiji is gonna be training me in fuinjutsu and kenjutsu."

"Well, I'm gonna miss getting to wipe the floor with you with Zabuza, Konan, and Guren," Tayuya mock pouted. "But I'm sure watching that old man beat you into a pulp will be equally as entertaining."

Naruto shoved her playfully, laughing softly. "Glad to see you care so much."

Tayuya laughed and shoved him back before curling up against his shoulder. "Things are going to get a lot more dangerous now, aren't they?"

"Probably," Naruto replied. "But as long as I have you and the others, I know we'll make it through just fine."

They stayed there quietly staring at the sky, enjoying each other's comfort until sleep eventually took them.

Over the next two weeks Yazawa trained Naruto harder than he ever had before. They spent the mornings studying fuinjutsu and Naruto was blown away by how little he actually knew compared to a bona fide seal master out of the Uzumaki clan. The afternoons were split between kenjutsu practice with Yazawa followed by Naruto's usual regime of being pounded into the dirt by Zabuza, Konan, Guren, and Tayuya (much to Tayuya's delight), while Jiraiya and Yazawa watched. Yazawa had taught Naruto an incredibly powerful barrier seal that was used for training without the fear of collateral damage, and as a result many of the monks would stop by to watch the sparring matches. Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji continued to join the monks in guarding the temple, but in the evenings, they would spar against a thoroughly exhausted Naruto, who would have to beat them with a varying set of handicaps. After that, Naruto usually retreated to the roof of the temple, occasionally joined by Shikamaru as they simply laid back and watch the sky.

He was laying there, head resting against the side of a sleeping Ryuda, when he felt a presence join him on the roof that he had been monitoring for a while.

"So, you finally found a way past the guards," Naruto said, not turning his gaze from the stars above.

"You seem strangely unconcerned with an enemy shinobi having breached the defences around your current base of operation," the woman behind him said.

"Who said you were an enemy?" Naruto replied. "Neither our villages nor our countries are at war with each other, which means you're just a foreign shinobi. As for breaching the defences, if you were after the Daimiyo, you wouldn't be here talking to me."

"What if you are the one I'm after?"

"That could make sense, considering you've probably been monitoring me to find out if my bloodline is worth stealing, but I get the feeling you don't want to do that either."

Finally sitting up, Naruto locked eyes with the woman behind him. She had long, straight blonde hair tied into a sort of ponytail that was wrapped in taut bandages. Her dark eyes and red lipstick complimented her fair skin and she wore a short-sleeved black and purple blouse with black pants, both of which had a design similar to clouds on them. Her forearms were wrapped in bandages with dark purple, fingerless gloves on her hands while a string of light blue beads curled loosely around her left arm.

"You don't know what I want," the woman bit out.

"That's fair," Naruto conceded. "But I can make certain extrapolations based off what I do know."

"And what is it you know?"

"I know that you're the Jinchuriki of the Two-Tailed Cat. I know that you probably have had a terrible life as a result. I can see that despite how hard your life has been, you still hold yourself with confidence. Based off of that, I can see that you have some sympathy for those that are targeted due to circumstances outside their control, but you squash that out of dedication to your mission."

"I don't know how you know that kind of information, but you're right. I may not approve of trying to steal bloodlines, but I'll do anything to see my village prosper. So I'm going to ask you to come with me peacefully."

"There's no point," Naruto replied.

"Why not?"

"Because the Kunshugan won't be passed to any children I have, and would become useless the moment they're extracted. On top of that, you've seen the state the Land of Fire is in, kidnapping not just the wielder of a dojutsu, but also Konoha's jinchuriki is going to turn every eye on Kumo and the Land of Lightning as they become the main suspects for the attack on the capitol."

"You're the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails?" The woman asked, stupefied.

Naruto nodded. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I've been hoping to talk to you for a while."

*(OoO)*

Tsunade arrived the following morning, accompanied by Hinata, Haku, Anko, Kurenai, Shizune and a handful of ANBU. Naruto was surprised and overjoyed to see his precious people once more. He and the girls left to go catch up while Tsunde exchanged pleasantries with the Daimiyo, informing him that the wisest course of action would be to remain in the Fire Temple while the Nation recovered. Her eyebrow twitched as she was forced to listen to hours of complaints about the lack of entertainment and comfort, before Tsunade was able to excuse herself.

While she spoke with the Daimiyo, Shizune joined Naruto in hunting down Sora, who had become rather reclusive since their sparring match a fortnight prior. Naruto had tried to track him down during that time, determined to provide an understanding ear, but every time he or one of his clones found him, Sora would brush him off, stating that unless Naruto was there for a rematch, to leave him alone. They found Sora sitting cross-legged in front of one of the reflection pools that dotted the temple grounds, and Naruto motioned for Shizune to stop while he went and sat on the smooth stone across the pond from Sora.

Sora's eyes were closed as he attempted to meditate, but Naruto could tell he was struggling. "Come for a rematch? 'Cause otherwise I don't wanna hear it."

"Even if I said that I wanna help you fix that arm of yours?" Naruto countered, the peace of the meditation area carried his husky voice across the pond easily. In a flash, Sora was on his feet and across the pond, holding Naruto up by his throat.

"Don't lie to me," Sora growled. Shizune watched as killing intent rolled off the young monk in waves, and was about to intervene when Naruto spoke.

"I'm not, my mom is the greatest medic in the world. If anyone can help you she can." He paused as Sora growled and tightened his grip. At this point his eyes had turned turned a glowing red colour and small bubbles of chakra were rising off his body. Tsunade, Jiraiya, Yazawa, Chiriku, and Baisho arrived but Naruto held up a hand to keep them at bay. "Control yourself, Sora." He flexed his own chakra, making sure not an ounce of his dad's was present, and a sudden feeling of comfort, almost like the opposite of killing intent spread over them.

The killing intent slowly started to drop, and Sora's face dropped as he lowered Naruto to the ground. "It's so loud," Sora whispered. "The screaming. It's like there's something in my head screaming to destroy everything."

"Sora, that blonde woman over there is Tsunade Senju. She's my mom and the greatest medic ever, she's going to use a low-level diagnostic jutsu to try and find out what's going on, okay?" Naruto explained quietly.

Sora's breath quickened as Tsunade approached and the killing intent started to return, making her freeze in place. "NO! Don't come near me! I'll just hurt you!"

The killing intent skyrocketed and chakra once more started to envelop Sora as he fell to the ground screaming and snarling. Acting fast, Naruto activated his Kunshugan and started to wrap Sora in bindings made of wood.

"This isn't going to hold him for long!" He yelled to the others. Tsunade took her cue and dashed in, lightly poking Sora in the back of the neck, knocking him out. Naruto sighed and retracted the wood, catching Sora as he fell to the ground. "Where can I put him?"

"I'll escort you to Sora's room in the dormitories," Chiriku answered. Seeing that the situation was handled, Jiraiya went to find the other leaf shinobi, while the rest of them followed him into the one of the dormitories. Looking around, Naruto noted that none of the other rooms had any occupents.

"We try to integrate Sora with the other monks, but they always make an effort to avoid him. Many of them are from Konoha, and thus are well aware of the destructive potential of the Nine-Tails, having come here soon after its attack to find enlightenment in their grief," Baisho explained. "Unfortunately, they have influenced many of the other monks, especially when Sora lost control once as a child, destroying a large section of the temple. They don't show open hatred or contempt for him, but it's clear that they fear what he contains, and thus fear when he will lose control once more."

Naruto remained silent, even as Kurenai and the other girls activated their own voice seals to make sure he was okay, unable to leave their guard duty at the moment. He whispered a quick confirmation of his well-being, but other than that he was understandably withdrawn. They entered Sora's room, the only differentiating feature between it and the other barren dorms being the small collection of books and scrolls on the desk near the window. Naruto placed him on his bedroll and Tsunade stepped forward with a glowing green hand.

"Near as I can tell, someone took a portion of the Nine-Tails' chakra and sealed it inside Sora's body."

"But I have all of Dad sealed in me and I'm not acting like that," Naruto said.

"No, but there was never a seal as expertly crafted as the one your father made for you when it came to jinchuriki seals. And now that it's gone and you are working with Kurama, his chakra is bound to yours," Tsunade replied. Yazawa stepped forward and his hand glowed blue as he examined Sora as well.

"By the looks of it, the chakra sealed in this boy is nothing more than the excess that a Tailed-Beast would naturally expel as it fought. Someone gathered it and allowed it to, for lack of a better term, ferment, then used a seal that bonded the chakra to him on a cellular level."

"That explains the mutation," Tsunade added, adjusting her technique. "You're right, Yazawa-dono. His cells are each infused with an extremely unstable chakra. It's slowly leeching and transforming Sora's own chakra and the mutation is a result of that."

"But, My Lady, that would mean that the mutation would spread as time went on," Shizune said. "Who would be so fool hardy to do something so reckless?"

"I don't know, but we're going to figure out how to fix it," Tsunade replied resolutely. "For now, it's best we let him rest, until I can come up with a solution. Until then, I need to speak with you, Naruto, and catch you up on current events."

Within the hour, Naruto and Tsunade were seated back at the meditation pool. They were joined by Shizune, Jiraiya, Fujika, Yazawa, Baisho, Asuma and Team 10, Kurenai, Anko, Hinata, Haku, Konan, Tayuya, and Guren. Yazawa had set up incredibly complex privacy seals, and Naruto had shadow clones taking over replacing them all while they spoke as well as assisting in guard duty.

"To begin, I'd like to thank you, Fujika-hime, and you, Yazawa-dono, for agreeing to the alliance with my son's clans," Tsunade said, bowing her head to the two heads of state.

"Naruto-san has a vision of the future that I believe the Land of Fire will benefit from," Fujika replied. "The reunification of the shinobi clans with their sovereign nation will resolve much of the domestic tensions within the Land of Fire, especially during such turbulent times, and the ability to covertly send aid and build foreign relations without our neighbours' knowledge is invaluable."

"I used to be of the Uzumaki before I renounced my clan for the position of Shogun," Yazawa. "It would be my duty to help guide the current heir if I hadn't, and I'm honoured that I have been given that opportunity regardless. With those I serve pledging their allegiance there is no conflict of interest. It may not count for much, considering the number of samurai loyal to me most likely dwindles by the day, but at the least you have my own power at your back, and as ordained by my new position of Hikari of this alliance, those who follow me will gladly carry your banner with that of the Land of Fire's."

"That's good to hear, because as it stands, I have already been ousted as Hokage."

All eyes turned on Tsunade in shock, their silence demanding an explanation.

"What are you talking about, Tsunade-sama?" Ino asked disbelievingly.

"I was unaware that there were those with the authority to impeach a Hokage," Shino said, shock tinging even his monotone voice.

"There aren't," Shikamaru remarked. "The Kage of the Hidden Villages are military dictators."

"Well, you are right, Shikamaru, in Konoha, the council has the authority to call for a vote of non-confidence," Asuma explained.

"That's correct," Tsunade confirmed. "The village has been becoming increasingly divided over the last year and I already knew that the vote was near on the horizon. In order to prevent further divisiveness within the village, I left the village under the guise of coming here, and appointed Hiashi Hyuga as my proxy until I came back. I'm anticipating him seizing my power while I'm gone and not allowing me entry within the village."

"What does that mean for us?" Anko asked.

"I knew that with me out of office, those closest to Naruto would be in danger, so I took you four with me as well as three ANBU who have expressed their interest to follow me, and sent Karin and the Ichiraku's to the Land of Waves with Kiba and Shino escorting them."

Naruto visibly relaxed and embraced Tsunade. "Thank you," he whispered. "I don't know what I would have done if they got hurt."

Tsunade smiled and held her son close, basking in finally seeing him again after over a month.

"So, what happens now?" Asuma asked.

"Tsunade-sama, correct me if I'm wrong, but you arrived wearing the hat of the Hokage, correct?" Baisho asked.

Tsunade smirked and nodded, prompting Fujika and Yazawa to mirror her expression.

"Then in that case, we remain loyal to you, Tsunade-dono, as wearer of the garment that represents the rank of Hokage," Yazawa stated.

Tsunade nodded her thanks. "As of now, the Senju, Namikaze, and Uzumaki clans are formally the only clans now part of the Konoha Alliance of Clans. All other clans do not represent Konoha or the Land of Fire anymore. Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, you three will still be returning to the village and your clans. Asuma, your father took your nephew and is coming here on his own after making certain preparations. He told me that you can choose to stay in Konoha and become the new head of the Sarutobi clan, or not, and he will pledge your clan to our alliance. He said to wait until you returned to the village, which you'll be doing tomorrow, to make your decision."

Asuma nodded and Tsunade dismissed him and his team, all of whom looked thoroughly conflicted.

"Now that we've established the political position of our merry band," Fujika remarked dryly, perhaps we should discuss moving forward."

"It seems to me," Konan offered, "that we need to gather funds, and find a place to establish a base of operations before we can begin amassing allies and reunifying the country. While the Fire Temple can house the Daimiyo in this time of crisis, it won't do to have them start being seen as anything more than neutral and altruistic."

Baisho nodded his agreement. "Konan-san is correct. We are happy to house you, but I'm afraid we will not allow our temple to be turned into the center of a military campaign."

"Well then, why don't we just leave the princess and the Shogun here, and they can work the people while we go off and find a place to stay?" Tayuya offered. "Once we do that, we can figure out a way to make money and start gaining allies."

"Money won't be too much of an issue," Tsunade said. "When I left, I took with me a few dozen long-term mission requests ranging from B to S Rank as well as emptying all of the funds for the Senju, Uzumaki, and Namikaze clans and almost the entirety of the Hokage's discretionary fund. The problem is finding a place that our enemies won't find or attack until we have enough forces to defend ourselves."

"The other four Elemental Nations are out," Jiraiya said. "If the Hokage is taking refuge in another big nation, it won't look good and will make the Land of Fire look even more vulnerable. As well as come with a _lot_ of hidden strings attached."

"What about the Land of Rice Paddies?" Kurenai suggested.

Tayuya and Guren both shook their heads. "That's where Oto is," Guren said.

"And the snake has labs in almost every small country," Tayuya added. "He's the last one we need hounding us."

"The Land of Rain is where the leader of Akatsuki is," Konan said.

"I may have an idea," Yazawa said. "What if you made your base in Uzu?"

"The Land of Whirlpools was destroyed decades ago," Jiraiya countered. "Not to mention that it's next to impossible to get near it."

"For most, maybe. But I can accompany you. Along with Naruto, and his control over the elements, we will be able to enter Uzu. The natural defences will keep you safe as you expand your influence, and the fact that they were allied with Konoha and the Land of Fire means that it would be the best place to set up a base without looking like refugees. The optics of the last son of the Uzumaki, who all the other Elemental Nations had to work together to crush out of fear of their strength, has come to return his clan and his nation to greatness will help with winning the loyalty of many civilians and wandering clans."

"Not to mention that Kiri and the Land of Water are still fighting a civil war," Zabuza added bitterly. "So there wouldn't be any imminent threat while we're there.

"But how would get to and from Uzu for missions if it's so hard to approach?" Anko asked.

"We could use the summoning seals," Naruto supplied. "Remember how those bandits wanted to use the seals to invade that mansion? Yazawa-jiji, Ero-Sennin, and I could figure out a way to make some really good seals that will only transport those we allow between the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Fire."

Tsunade mulled it over for a moment before making up her mind. "Alright, once we've figured out how to help Sora, Yazawa will join us as we make our way for the Land of Whirlpools. Yugao, Yamato, Kisuke, you three will remain here to provide protection for the princess and the Daimiyo until Danzo arrives with his ROOT opperatives before returning to me. If we have already entered the Land of Whirlpools, wait near the coast for me to return."

Three shadows within the confines of the privacy seal voiced their understanding of her orders before disappearing in a blur.

"If that's all, I think I'm going to go get some training while the leaders talk," Naruto said making to rise to his feet only to be stopped when Tsunade grabbed him by the arm.

"Actually, Naru-kun, you're going to be staying. The rest of you are dismissed while we discuss our plans."

Everyone nodded and dispersed until it was only Naruto, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Yazawa, and Fujika who remained.

"Naruto, why did you try to skip out just then?" Jiraiya asked.

Naruto shrugged. "I'm not interested in conquering the country. I just needed to make sure we had plans so I could keep my precious people safe."

"You might not be interested, kid, but like it or not, you're at the helm of this thing," Yazawa stated.

"What do you mean? All I did was help Mom form an alliance with you and Fujika-hime. She's the Hokage, she should be in charge along with the rest of you."

"What about your dream of peace and unity?" Fujika asked. "Were those nothing more than empty promises?"

"I never make emoty promises!" Naruto shouted. "But, I'm also just a thirteen year old kid! I don't have the knowledge or the experience to lead this thing."

"That's what we're here for, Naru-kun," Tsunade replied softly. "We'll help you, and guide you towards your dream. I may be Hokage, Yazawa-dono may be the Shogun, and Fujika-hime may be the princess, but you are the one who brought us all together."

"I pledged my loyalty to you, Naruto," Yazawa said. "You are the heart of the alliance, and when you appointed me a position that was equal to the Hokage, you unwittingly appointed yourself even higher."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"When you said that Yazawa, as the Hikari, would be equal to the Hokage, you made a new power structure," Jiraiya explained. "The Hokage position is unique in that it has similar political power to a Daimiyo while controlling the same authority over its military forces as the Shogun. By saying that Yazawa is second only to his sovereign your words leave the implications for two possibilities. The first is that you, as the creater of the alliance are the sovereign, which is impossible as it would make you a usuper and force a conflict of interest on Yazawa. The second is that, due to you bringing Fujika into the alliance, you imply that it will be an international alliance with you as the overseer. Either way, you've just made yourself one of the most powerful people in the world."

Naruto was shocked. He didn't want that! Sure he had been determined to be Hokage, but that was only when he had to protect all of Konoha in order to protect a few. "I-I'm not ready for that. I have no idea how to any of this stuff!"

"Don't worry, Naru-kun, you'll learn," Tsunade said placatingly. "You're not going to have to do this alone." She gently rubbed his back, and slowly he was soothed back into calmness.

"Sorry about that," He muttered sheepishly. "I didn't think that I would accidently turn myself into some sort of great uniter when I set out to get myself some allies. I was just doing what I thought was right."

"And so long as you continue to do so, I believe you will have nothing to worry about," Fujika said with a smile. "I understand what it feels like to bear the burden of leadership at a young age, but so long as you surround yourself with people you can trust, you will find that no challenge is insurmountable."

*(OoO)*

Haku and Hinata were training with Kurenai and Guren when the members of Team 10 dropped by to say their farewells.

"It almost feels like a last goodbye," Chouji admitted.

"It isn't," Hinata stated. "We might not be welcome in Konoha anymore, but that doesn't mean you are no longer our friends."

Ino was quiet and her eyes shone with determination as she spoke. "I swear, I'm going to get strong and see you guys again. I'll find out what's going on in Konoha, and I'll change it."

Hinata smiled at Ino's resolution and hugged her fiercely. Clearly this was another person Naruto had managed to change for the better.

Team 10 left and Hinata threw herself back into training. She and Haku had realised that they were objectively amongst the weakest those close to Naruto, and had both sworn to improve themselves lest they become a burden.

As afternoon shifted into evening, she found herself sitting on the ground panting and nursing a sprained wrist from an errant crystal, while Haku was sprawled out next to her, breathing heavily as she stared at the clouds overhead. Kurenai and Guren were both coated in a layer of sweat and were panting slightly as they took a seat as well.

"Not bad," Kurenai praised. "Your modified Gentle Fist is improving, Hinata, and your accuracy with that bow of yours is nothing short of impressive. You still need to work on endurance and stamina, but that will come with time."

"Same goes for you, Haku," Guren added. "You have pretty good control over your ice, but it takes a lot of chakra for you to create it. Unless we can figure out a new way for you to create your ice, we're going to have to really work on your chakra reserves."

Haku grunted in acknowledgement as Tayuya walked over to join them.

"Hello, Tayuya-san," Hinata greeted. "How was your shift on guard duty?"

Tayuya threw herself face down onto the ground and yelled into the soft grass, making the other four wince.

"That bad?" Kurenai asked.

"I never would have guessed that the leader of an entire freakin' country could be so much of a brat!" Tayuya groaned, turning her head to pout. "No wonder somebody wanted him dead. He's been spoiling himself rotten with the hard earned money of his people while the rest of us have to work for a living."

"Is it really that bad?" Haku wondered.

"He's like a little kid! Always whining and complaining. It's no wonder his daughter runs everything behind the scenes while letting him pretend he's doing something by handling petty disputes between rich kiss-asses."

Haku patted her on the back patronizingly and smiled as Tayuya buried her face back in the grass and groaned. They eventually went back inside, and were greeted to a veritable feast in one of the dining rooms. Looking around, they saw a squadron of Naruto clones running around preparing the meals. Everyone gathered and a tired Naruto slumped down between Kurenai and Konan, stating that he wanted to do something special now that most of the family was back together again. Smiles lit up around the table, and for that one precious moment, no one spoke of banishments or councils or politics.

"So, do you have any idea about how to help Sora?" Guren asked as they polished off the last of the food.

"Not yet," Tsunade replied. "Who ever sealed the chakra in him, spliced it to him on a cellular level. We can't extract it without risking a lot of damage and pain to him."

"So, unless he somehow forces it all out of himself at once, the kid is up a creek without a paddle," Yazawa concluded bluntly.

"We'll figure it out," Naruto said. "With Mom's medical expertise, my wood release, and Yazawa-jiji's knowledge in seals, we'll free Sora from this."

"That reminds me," Tsunade said. "Naruto, I brought Yamato with me so that he could help train you in the wood release."

"Awesome! With his help I'll be even more of a badass!"

Laughs broke out around the table and Naruto grinned. Sitting there, he looked around at the smiling faces, and found himself thinking that everything he had been through and everything he knew he would have to go through would be worth it if he got to keep having moments like these.

*(OoO)*

The next two weeks passed with the typical routine of guard duty, training, and scheming. Yamato had begun teaching Naruto what he knew of the wood release, but they found that something was fundamentally different between them. Near as they could tell, Yamato had a much easier time controlling his wood, but it was nowhere near as powerful as Naruto's, and, after consulting Jiraiya as well, they concluded that Naruto's wood release was more natural than Yamato's due to Yamato gaining his abilities from the First's cells. As such, Naruto had to constantly fight against the energy of nature as he tried to create his trees, which made it harder to control and shape, but ultimately more powerful. Tsunade predicted that with proper training, Naruto would probably be able to harness the wood release in the same way as her grandfather had.

Naruto was outside in one of the training grounds, sparring against several clones in order to practice mixing the different elements he could control in a fight, when his night took a turn for the worse.

It started with Itachi and Kisame appearing in the middle of hs training ground. They stood there calmly as Naruto dispelled his clones, and activated his voice seal.

"It probably wasn't the smartest move to come here, Itachi. If you didn't want to have to deal with Jiraiya and Konan, you're not gonna want to be here when Mom and the others get here."

As if to prove his point, a familiar wooshing came from behind him, and Kisame raised his blade to block Zabuza's as it spun through the air. Zabuza appeared in a flash and locked blades with Kisame.

"So, the Demon of the Bloody Mist makes an appearance," Kisame remarked with a smirk. "What are you doing here?"

"Could ask you the same thing," Zabuza grunted. He jumped back and raised his sword once again to block a blow, though Naruto noted that his legs buckled ever so slightly under the sheer force of Kisame's swings.

"We simply came here to talk, Naruto-kun," Itachi said calmly, not making a move even as his partner continued to push Zabuza back.

Kisame was forced to jump back as a barrage of paper shuriken flew through the air. "So, Konan's here too. Does Leader-sama know you're not dead, and have instead gone turncoat?"

"No. Does he know that you're helping your partner spy on him?" Konan returned.

"So, it wasn't a mistake when you uttered the code phrase," Itachi said quietly.

"No, it wasn't," Tsunade announced as she, Jiraiya, and Yazawa joined them while Kurenai and the others confirmed they were in position around the Daimiyo and his daughter. She wore the Hokage's hat as she stared down the two Akatsuki members. "Much has happened since you left the village, Itachi."

"Perhaps it is best that we discuss these changes in private, Hokage-sama," Itachi said. Quicker than anyone could react, he activated his Sharingan and stared Tsunade in the eye. A moment later, he dropped to one knee, blood leaking down from his eye while Tsunade took a deep, steadying breath.

"You okay Mom?" Naruto asked.

Tsunade was about to respond when they were cut off by a loud crash from across the temple. Chiriku came running with blood soaking his robes and stumbled in front of them.

"Chiriku, what happened?" Tsuande demanded.

"Sora… he's losing control again. I went to go check on him, and found several of my fellow monks dead or close to death. Someone broke in and put him under some sort of genjutsu."

"Who would do such a thing?" Yazawa demanded.

"The same kind of person who would raze a city to the ground in order to destabilize the country," Naruto growled.

"My, you are perceptive, aren't you?" They all turned to the building behind them. Standing atop the sloped roof was Chikanari, smiling cruelly as he looked down on them. "My own leader has expressed disappointment with my inability to follow through with my orders, so I left the little monk-to-be a present and some pleasant dreams."

"You really think you can take us all on at once?" Kisame shouted with a sharp-toothed smirk. "You've got balls, I'll give you that."

Chikanari chuckled as if he found the entire situation adorable. "Now, now, I don't think I would like to test even my own formidable skill against the power of two Sannin, a Shogun, and three members of the infamous Akatsuki. No, instead, I think I'll leave you with a parting gift as well." Slamming his hand onto the roof, a burst of smoke enveloped him, and an earsplitting screech shattered the night. The smoke cleared and Chikanari was nowhere to be seen. In his place was a massive creature of some sort.

Its body looked like that of a bat, while it had a more dog-like face and hind legs. It spread its wings, their span easily exceeding a hundred meters, and took to the sky. Once it had gained sufficient altitude, it suddenly ignited in flames that lit up the night. Naruto squinted his eyes, and noted that the heat from the flame seemed to be melting the flesh right off the creature. Flaming balls of slime oozed off its body toward the ground, but Naruto could see that they were quickly being replaced. The slime splashed against the ground violently before twisting and writhing to form a smaller version of the creature, also on fire. The original monster screeched once more and flourished its wings, sending a rain of fire down upon the temple and the surrounding forest. Screams came from where its spawn started attacking just as another explosion rocked the other side of the temple, and a wave of killing intent.

Naruto froze and activated his Kunshugan. Time froze and silence surrounded him, allowing him the peace to take several deep breaths and calm himself. He looked at the gathered high-ranking warriors around him, the creature flying in the air, and the cloud of dust frozen in place coming from where Sora was.

 _Remember kit, you've got a ton of friends and allies who are willing to help you,_ Kurama said softly. _You don't have to do everything yourself._

Naruto smiled and he felt a pulse from his arm and Eclipse. He turned to Tsunade, restarting time as he spoke, the authority in his voice masking any uncertainty he was still feeling. "Mom, you and Shizune-neechan need to see to the wounded, while Ero-Sennin, Itachi, and Kisame go deal with Sora. Itachi's Sharingan should have the ability to break Sora out of whatever genjutsu he's under and help supress Dad's chakra. Konan can fly, so I'd like her to come with me to lead that creature towards the nearest body of water, while Yazawa-jiji rallies the monks and anyone not already guarding the Daimiyo or Fujika-hime against these smaller ones."

Everyone nodded even as they began fighting the creature's spawn and split up. Tsunade punched one of the smaller creatures, separating its head from its body and allowed herself a quick glance back as Naruto and Konan took to the roof of the nearest building.

Wings of paper formed out of the back of Konan's cloak, and her hair billowed as she raced up towards the creature. Countless exploding tags exploded around its face making the creature throw its head and roar as more spawn continued to drip off of it. She flew in front of its face, sweating at the flames billowing around it, and launced several paper shuriken into its eyes and snout, reinforcing them with her chakra so they wouldn't burn before impact. Meanwhile Naruto used his water style to douse any flames he could and Eclipse's wind chakra to attack the spawn before they landed. He jumped into the air, using shadow clones as springboards until he was over the creature as it tried to crush Konan in its jaws. Channeling his earth chakra through his blade, he slammed Eclipse down into the creature's back, the shockwave causing it to drop a few hundred feet before recovering. He channeled chakra to his feet, and readied himself as the creature took off after Konan. Spawn raised out of its back and he cut them down as quickly as they came. The flames surrounding the monster licked at his legs, but Naruto simply channeled his chakra to his legs to form a protective layer. One of the spawn screeched and opened its mouth wider than should have been possible as a great ball of fire spat out of its throat. Naruto switched to his fire style and dispered the fire ball around himself, firing his own back at it with a quick punch.

Sweat dripped down his back as they approached a nearby lake, and Naruto felt his arm pulse once again.

 _Summon me._

Not one to ignore an offer for help, Naruto leapt off the creature, tackling Konan out of the way as it fired a house-sized fireball of its own, and quickly bit into his left hand. Channeling as much of his own and Kurama's chakra as he could, he forced it out violently as he crashed into the water.

"Naruto!" Konan shouted.

*(OoO)*

Itachi, Jiraiya, and Kisame made short work of Sora. With Kisame's sword eating the foul chakra, and Jiraiya's toads holding him down, it didn't take long for Itachi to use his Sharingan. He broke through the genjutsu with ease, and supressed the Nine-Tails chakra as he used a genjutsu of his own to put the boy to sleep.

"I've supressed the Kyubi chakra, but the brief look I got into the boy's state shows that whatever that man did caused significant damage. With the unstable chakra already affecting his psyche, we can't risk waking him up without him going wild once more."

Jiraiya nodded grimly, relaying the information to Tsunade.

 _"We can't worry about that now. I haven't heard from the guards with the Daimiyo in a while, I need you to go check on them."_

"Alright," Jiraiya said. He led Itachi and Kisame to the building where the Daimiyo was staying, and Kisame paused, taking a sniff of the air.

"We're not gonna like what we see when get there."

Jiraiya nodded and steeled himself as he pushed open the door. The bodies of monks littered the floor, blood seeping out the many wounds that mutilated them, and Jiraiya took off at a sprint. Bursting through the door to the Daimiyo's quarter's he found the three ANBU who were assigned to guard him unconscious and bleeding heavily while the Daimiyo himself was pale as a sheet under the blankets of his bed, gasping for air.

"Tsuande we need you here, now!"

It took less than a minute for Tsunade to burst through the door. Itachi and Kisame were doing what they could to help her agents while Jiraiya was tending to the Daimiyo. She wanted to help her people, but the blood on Jiraiya's hands told her where her attentions were needed the most at the moment.

"Are those… bite marks?" Tsunade asked as she began applying a healing jutsu to the many bleeding wounds on the Daimiyo's stomach. Jiraiya nodded grimly.

"Near as I could tell, his kidney was ripped out, and large sections of his flesh, including his right leg are gone. They aren't anywhere here, so either they were taken, or more likely…"

"They were eaten…" Tsunade fought down a shudder and focused on her task. It seemed like the wounds were placed specifically to cause the most slow and painful death possible. If Jiraiya hadn't found him when he did, the Daimiyo would have slowly bled to death while the rest of themwere distracted by the invasion.

"Those things are coming this way," Kisame noted as he hefted Yamato and Kisuke over his shoulders. "Might want to move his highness before they smell a fresh meal."

"Itachi, take the ANBU to Shizune and come back here. Jiraiya and I will hold off the creatures until you get back."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Itachi said, lifting Yugao over his own shoulders.

Tsunade tore up the sheets of the Daimiyo's bed and used them to wrap up his remaining wounds, slowing the bleeding until she could return to his side. She cracked her knuckles and followed Jiraiya out the door.

"You and I seem to be finding ourselves in these sort of situations quite often, Tsu-hime," Jiraiya quipped. "If this keeps up, I might start thinking you enjoy my company."

"Keep dreaming, you old pervert," Tsunade fired back with a smirk. She reared her fist back as the first group of monsters approached, and slammed it into the ground. The earth shattered under the force of her punch, and the creatures were thrown off their feet, the slower ones getting crushed between the shifting stones while the rest took to the air.

Jiraiya made a hand seal and swung his head around. Sharp needle-like hairs flew through the air and skewered the remaining creatures. They continued to demolish the creatures with ease until Itachi and Kisame returned.

"Their numbers are diminishing within the temple," Itachi reported. "But there are several of them in the surrounding forests."

As if on cue, the original creature shrieked and they leapt up to the roof of the building to see a trail of burning forest leading from the temple to the lake a handful of kilometers away. The creature could just be made out over the distance as its mouth distended and a gargantuan fireball erupted from the depths of its throat. The ball of flames rocketed towards the lake surface, but was easily extinguish as a pillar of swirling water rose out of the lake, twisting and writhing through the air as it grew and knocking harshly into the creature to send it crashing to the ground.

A loud sound, almost like a whale call rang over the land, and they watched as a shadow swam up the water spout. The silhouette stopped its ascent and a pair of blue eyes shone as it dispersed the spout. Water churned and rose as a dragon opened its mouth and that same melodious call rang through the air. It didn't look like a typical dragon. Its skin had no scales and instead looked like it was covered in a tough black and white hide. Its rear legs were webbed, talons curving out of them, while the forward legs resembled the paws of a seal, large and smooth with claws held close together to help with swimming. Its wings looked more like the giant fins of a whale than the typical bat-like wings one would expect, and its head had a sleek design, with a horn protruding from between its eyes and a pointed end to its snout, not unlike a beak.

"Well met, Naruto-kun," the dragon's voice echoed through the air as it spoke and Tsunade could almost feel power in its soft, musical voice. "My name is Ryuzuka, Embodiment of Water. I have come to help you dispose of this abomination." There was a moment of silence as Naruto no doubt responded, and Tsunade could almost see the amusement in Ryuzuka's sapphire eyes. "Yes, Ryusanda does like his tests, as most of us do. I, however have been watching you since you summoned him, and have deemed you worthy through both word and action to summon myself and those I command."

Tsunade watched as the dragon made quick work of the creature. As soon as it recovered and was back in the air, Ryuzuka flaired her wings out and the lake beneath her curved under the force. The water churned and started glow as rose and gathered into a glowing sphered in front of her. The creature gathered its own energy into a fireball of equal size and launched it. Ryuzuka roared and the glowing sphere of water rocketed forward in the form of a massive beam of light that pierced right through the fireball and obliterated the creature in a flash of light and a shriek of pain. Nothing of the creature remained when Ryuzuka's attack faded, and she looked around the burning forest with distaste.

"Alright, Naruto-kun, I know I said I deemed you worthy, but I do have one more test for you." Ryuzuka laughed at Naruto most likely reacting poorly to the turn of events. "Worry not, it's nothing as subtle as Ryusanda, all I ask of you is to extinguish these flames below us."

"There's no way he can do that," Kisame commented.

"Naruto has unprecedented skills with elemental chakra," Jiraiya countered. "He'll be just fine."

They watched as a tiny figure on top of Ryuzuka's head moved and felt a massive amount of chakra be exerted. Tsunade could feel Kurama's chakra helping Naruto, but on top of that, it seemed that Ryuzuka was also providing her own chakra to supplement Naruto's technique.

"This isn't good," Jiraiya muttered. "The natural energy is fighting him for control of the water."

"I believe in my son," Tsunade said firmly. "He can do it."

As if in response to Tsunade's declaration of support, they heard a faint screaming, and watched in amazement as the water of the lake rose up and spread through the forest, extinguishing flames left and right before receding back. "Well done, Naruto-kun," Ryuzuka rumbled as she flapped her wings and flew towards the temple.

Tsunade allowed herself to watch as Jiraiya accepted an unconscious Naruto from the dragon before returning inside the Daimiyo's quarters and getting to work on saving him.

 **A/N: Alright, and with this, we pretty much wrap up the Fire Temple Arc and get started towards the whole gaining allies/empire building thing. We're rapidly approaching the time skip as well which I have plans for (sorta), so there might be one or two more arcs, and a confrontation between the gang and shinobi from Konoha and Orochimaru's gang before I wrap things up for the training montage chapter where we skip time and graduate Naruto from strong to OP against pretty much anyone he would have struggled against in canon (barring Akatsuki), and paving the way for some big baddies and plotlines. As always, thanks for reading and telling me what you think, and I'll see you again soon!**


	22. Chapter 22

When Naruto finally awoke, the monks had already buried the few casualties that had been lost in the attack, and the temple was attempting to return to normal life. Itachi and Kisame returned to the Akatsuki to continue gathering intelligence, though they promised they would be by again soon. Fujika informed him that her father was going to survive, but would be weak and bedridden for the rest of his life. Naruto felt guilty when he heard this and a small part of him thought of how that might make things easier for him and Fujika to regain the support of the country.

After the chaos of the attack, Tsunade decided that it would be smart if they left as soon as possible. Naruto was unhappy that they wouldn't be able to do anything to help Sora, but promised the boy that he would return and figure out how to extract the Kyubi chakra from him when he did. Yazawa also placed a secondary seal on Sora that would help him maintain control until they found a more permanent solution.

By the end of the week, they had all packed everything they needed and had were on their way out when Baisho stopped them. He carried a long package wrapped in cloth and handed it to Naruto with a bow.

"We have kept this safe for generations, waiting for one to come who would be worthy of wielding it. After seeing what you did, I would like to think that you have more than proved that you are the one we have been waiting for."

Naruto accepted the package and unwrapped it, revealing a seven foot staff made of the same strange metal as Eclipse and his arm. At the top of the staff was a ring with eight spikes and a small orb seemingly floating in the center. Naruto could feel the power flowing through the staff and bowed low in thanks to the elderly monk.

"I will cherish it until the end of my days."

With that they left, and Naruto found that he could adjust the length of the staff with a small application of chakra, shrinking it down to be proportional to him. He carried it in his left hand as they took to the trees, speeding east towards the coast of the Land of Fire. They made good time and, according to Yazawa would be there within the next two days if they kept their current pace. When they finally stopped to camp, Naruto sat down with his legs crossed and his eyes closed to meditate.

Anko watched him curiously as he did that, and was soon joined by Konan.

"He's growing faster than any of us could have predicted," Konan remarked quietly. "I won't be surprised if he eventually surpasses Nagato in strength."

"I think he already has," Anko countered. "Maybe not in a one on one match, but Naruto has a strength that brings people together. You're old friend might think he's some sort of god, but he's alone. He might think that he can rule over the Elemental Nations and stop wars with some sort of super weapon, but ultimately, I think Naruto is the one who is going to bring in peace and balance."

"Maybe, but you can't blame for wanting to hold off on that confrontation for as long as possible, can you?"

*(OoO)*

The following days of travel passed in much the same way, with Naruto splitting his time between meditations and spending time with the girls. Kurenai and Konan were noticeably more flustered when he spoke with them or got too close, something the others jumped on immediately and teased them relentlessly for. Even Hinata made the odd joke, feeling more secure in her relationship with Naruto after her talk with Kurenai and Anko. It seemed that her worries were indeed unfounded, as Naruto proved time and time again that he didn't have any favourites, and liked them each for different reasons.

They arrived at the coast of the Land of Fire exactly on schedule, though Hinata was understandably exhausted from the breakneck pace, along with almost everyone but Naruto, Tsunade, Konan, Jiraiya, and Yazawa. Yazawa, Naruto, and Jiraiya separated from the group to go and prepare the first of the two seals that would facilitate travel between Uzu and the Land of Fire. When they returned they ate lunch before packing up for the last leg of their journey. A quick application of the wood release and they had a large sturdy boat with which to cross the turbulent waters. Naruto stood at the rear of the vessel, making use of his water style to manipulate the currents around them and propel the boat forward.

It took several hours for them to approach where Yazawa said the Land of Whirlpools was, and by then even Naruto's endless energy was waning.

"We're almost there," Yazawa reassured him as the boat started slowing. Naruto grunted and threw himself back into propelling the boat and maintaining control as they navigated the increasingly turbulent waters. He focused on his breathing as the boat rocked back and forth, and activated his Kunshugan as they weaved between the jagged stones rising out of the whirling tides. A massive wave slammed into the side of the boat and he spluttered as they were carried toward an outcropping of rock that promised a painful demise.

"Hold on!" He shouted. He took another deep breath and extended his chakra into the water beneath him. He closed his eyes and felt the rise and fall of the water, weaving his chakra into the ebb and flow of the energy surrounding him. His feet planted on the deck of the boat, he weaved his arms back and forth, gathering the water beneath the vessel. The others were on the edge of their seats, steadfastly remaining silent for fear of breaking his concentration, and watched as the water swelled beneath them. They rode the wave as it grew and grew, carrying them over the rocks and on towards the distant shoreline. Yazawa channeled his chakra as they approached the island, and shoved it forward as the boat passed through an invisible barrier. The barrier absorbed his chakra, and Naruto's recognizing them both as Uzumaki, and allowed them passage. With a grunt Naruto released the water and allowed it disperse and gently carry them all the way to the sandy shores while he leaned heavily on his staff.

The boat came to a stop on the beach, and Naruto stumbled as he tried to disembark. Hinata and Hau had been sitting right in front of him and were the first to react, catching him before he could hit the ground and draping his arms over their shoulders. Tsunade noticed his staff dragging in the sand, and reached out to take it from him, but the second her hand touched the metal length she gasped and quickly released it, panting slightly.

"You okay, Mom?" Naruto croaked as he struggled to remain standing.

"Naruto, do you not feel anything coming from that staff?"

Naruto frowned and closed his eyes, focusing on his staff. He found that the gem in the center seemed to contain a sea of chakra, almost on par with what he had felt when he fought against Shukaku. The staff itself seemed to be trying to absorb chakra from anything around it, even taking in minute amounts of the energy in the air. "It seems that the staff is absorbing chakra from everything around it," Naruto explained. "My Kunshugan gives me complete control of the chakra inside my pathways, so it can't take it from me, but it does seem to be absorbing that weird almost-chakra that I see everywhere and storing it. I wonder if that means I could learn to absorb it too, and if that would help with controlling it when I use my elements."

Jiraiya frowned as Tsunade turned a serious eye to him. It seemed that even on his own, Naruto was slowly developing an understanding of nature energy and its applications. If he kept progressing at this rate, Jiraiya was going to need to start teaching him how to harness it before he wound up hurting himself.

"So, it's an extra chakra reserve?" Anko confirmed.

"It seems so," Hinata confirmed, her Byakugan active. "I don't know about that energy Naruto-kun was talking about, but I can see a massive sea of chakra within the gem of the staff and an extended pathway connecting it to him. Also it seems that while it may not be taking it from you in the same manner it did to Tsunade-sama, the chakra each of us are expelling naturally is being pulled towards it, with Naruto-kun's being completely absorbed by it."

Yazawa closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them. "The young lady is right. Naruto's chakra signature is all but indetectable. If I had to guess, your chakra signature is passively helping to fill its reserves, while in return it hides your presence."

"Huh, it looks like my chakra is mixing with that energy inside the gem," Naruto observed.

"We can discuss this all later," Jiraiya interrupted, not liking the direction Naruto's thoughts were going. "For the moment, we should get to Uzu before nightfall."

Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly but nodded and removed his arms from Hinata and Haku's shoulders, chuckling at the twin pouts directed at him, and nodded for Yazawa to lead the way.

 _I know Owryudan-ojisan said that I shouldn't mess with that energy,_ Naruto thought as he followed the others. _But the more I use my elemental styles, the more I feel I won't properly master them until I understand this energy and how it works._

 _It's okay to be curious, Kit,_ Kurama said. _But the pervert and Owryudan just want to make sure you don't hurt yourself messing with something you don't understand. You don't have to figure everything out on your own anymore, remember? Let them teach you._

 _Fine,_ Naruto agreed. _But I'm gonna confront Ero-Sennin and Owryudan-ojisan about this once we get settled in Uzu._

The sun had almost completely set when they broke out of the forest and came upon the remains of the gates to Uzu. Naruto felt a strange sense of loss as he looked upon the ruins of the village, and was understandably melancholy as he and Yazawa picked through the rubble and erosion.

Tayuya looked up at the gate and squinted at the worn design carved into the top. "That looks sorta familiar."

"I know what you mean," Kurenai agreed.

"It looks like the design on the back of our chunin vests," Haku observed as she and Hinata took off their vests to inspect them.

"The Uzumaki have a long history with Konoha," Jiraiya explained.

"They were instrumental in turning the village from a simple alliance between the Senju and the Uchiha into what it would one day be known as. The First's wife was in fact an Uzumaki, and she was the first jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, the second being Naruto's biological mother, Kushina Uzumaki," Tsunade added. "They were chosen for their vitality, unprecedented stamina and chakra reserves as well as their mastery of fuinjutsu. Jiraiya and the Fourth are the only two people who have been recognized by an Uzumaki as a proper seal master."

"And even then, only Minato was anywhere near the skill level of an Uzumaki seal master." Jiraiya frowned sadly as he surveyed the damage. Most of the village was submerged in water, and only rubble remained of any of the buildings.

They all turned their attention towards the center of the ruins when a wave of sadness and anger washed over them. They sprinted forward and found Naruto standing over an old and broken baby rattle, his shoulders shaking.

"They slaughtered them," he muttered. "I can feel it. The air hear is filled with fear and pain, even now. They came and they slaughtered every last one they could find."

Chakra started flickering around his form, and a massive pressure pushed down on them, forcing even Tsunade, Konan, Yazawa, and Jiraiya to buckle slightly. Konan fought against the pressure even as it increased and Naruto started floating up off the ground on a gust of wind, tears streaming down his face. She took the final step towards him and pulled him close in a tight embrace. No words were needed as she conveyed her understanding, memories of her own war-torn sorrow surging forward.

The anger flowing out of Naruto lessened as he felt her energy, and eventually was replaced by resolution.

They all watched in amazement as he created gusts of wind to lift them each into the air along with him. His staff floated in front of him, and Hinata watched as the immense chakra within the tool flowed into him, Kurama's own chakra joining in, mixing together to create a beautiful, whirling energy within Naruto's body. She shouted her observations over the rushing winds, and they all watched Naruto raise his arms and the water flooding the village receded before the underlying earth cracked and glowed. Heat blasted their faces as the entire village was engulfed in boiling lava, eventually melting and reducing itself into nothing more than a massive lake of molten earth. The lake grew and grew until it was easily two kilometers in diameter before Naruto shouted and dropped the water onto the boiling lake, clenching his fists and hardening the igneus below them even as the water boiled and cooled it down. Hinata watched as his chakra pathways strained under the force of the energy he was manipulating and worried that he was going to hurt himself. With another shout, glittering crystals erupted from the ground around the circumference of the darkened earth. Rather than his usual pale green, these ones glittered in a variety of colours as they rose to form an impressive wall. Lastly, he slammed his hands together and wood sprang out of the ground, weaving together as it formed a large building not dissimilar from the Hokage Tower, except for the additional sections that grew attached to the sides, their sloped roofs connecting seamlessly with the side of the tower, and a secondary wall that enclosed a swath of land around the grounds.

Satisfied, Naruto cut off the flow of chakra and collapsed to the ground where Tsunade caught him. She carried him inside the tower and found that he had even fully furnished it, smiling at her son, Tsunade placed him on the bed of a nearby room and began running a diagnostic jutsu whil Hinata assisted her by scanning him with her Byakugan.

"I had no idea Naruto had that kind of power," Guren whispered in awe.

"He doesn't normally," Jiraiya replied. "Naruto just used sage chakra for the first time. He's not used to that sort of power flowing through his pathways, especially when mixed with Kurama's."

"I'm surprised his chakra pathways aren't completely destroyed from throwing that kind of power around," Zabuza remarked, equally amazed.

"I'm not," Hinata said not taking her eyes off of Naruto. "Naruto-kun has the strangest chakra pathways I have ever seen. Normally, a person expands their chakra reserves by exerting their pathways like they would any other muscle. They push just a little past their limits and their pathways adapt upon recovery. Naruto-kun already had massive reserves to start with, so while it's harder for him to control his chakra, his pathways are already adapted for handling truly massive amounts of it. As a result, they're much more elastic and stretch farther than most people without burning out."

"That's how we're training him to handle Kurama's chakra," Tsunade added. "He releases more and more, and his pathways slowly get used to it, consequently increasing his reserves as well. With the influx of Kyubi chakra and sage chakra his pathways are strained but they're quickly recovering."

"Never woulda guessed the shithead would make an entire village on his own," Tayuya muttered. "That's usually the kind of thing you only hear about in stories."

"While he sleeps, I'm going to go and apply a few more of those summoning seals," Yazawa announced. The rest of them separated to explore the building Naruto created and were pleasantly surprised to find enough rooms to accommodate them all. The largest room was connected to seven other rooms via a communal sitting room, making it obvious who they were built for. There was a recreation of the Hokage's office on the top floor and a meeting room across the hall, ensuring no meetings would be able to take place without Tsunade's knowledge.

By the time Naruto woke up the next day and eaten through a significant portion of their supplies, everyone had already settled in and gathered in the meeting room.

"As of yesterday, the shadow clone I sent back to Konoha was barred entrance and informed of the coup. I acted sufficiently outraged, and yet not totally surprised, and I think it was safe to say that not everyone in the village was agreed on my impeachment. Danzo's ROOT agents will be contacting the Tsume and Shibi to inform them of our relocation, and offer them the opportunity to form an alliance with us when they get the chance to leave the village. Naruto, as the overseer of this coalition, you'll need to be here to negotiate with them when they come. Until then, though, I have several missions for all of you that will help us build funds and a client base."

"Perhaps it would be wise to send a couple people back with me," Yazawa suggested. "Fujika-hime plans to begin traveling around the nation, helping where she can and reminding the people that they have not been abandoned. If a couple shinobi came with us, they could help to improve relations between my samurai, the civilian population, and the shinobi forces, as well as demonstrate both Fujika-hime's loyalty to this coalition and my own pledge of fealty and position as Hikari."

"That seems like a smart move," Tsunade conceded. "Shizune, Zabuza, you two will accompany Yazawa-dono back and help with any missions he receives as he and Fujika-hime aid in the relief effort. Danzo will be accompanying you as well, with his ROOT operatives acting as part of the protection detail, meaning you two will be the faces of this alliance. Prove to the people that we are on their side and can be rusted. Earn their respect." Shizune and Zabuza nodded and Yazawa left to finish the final preparations before leaving. "Now, the first mission I have will be for you, Naruto. The Land of Hot Water has requested aid with a series of crimes, and the shinobi forces Yuga are stretched thin trying to keep the peace as fall is quickly approaching and that's when they receive the majority of their tourists. You're going to go with Anko, Guren, and Jiraiya to investigate and put an end to these crimes. The mission is expected to be a mid B-rank but there is the possibility of the situation going south. Touch base with the leader of Yuga and see what you can do." Naruto nodded and was about to leave when Tsunade stopped him. "Also, don't forget to take off your headband. We aren't shinobi of the leaf anymore."

They all took off their leaf headbands, and Naruto couldn't help but feel slightly naked without it. But as he stared down at the insignia etched into the metal plate, memories started to surface and he suddenly found it much easier to place the forehead protector on the table and leave it there. His village was the people around him, not those that would cast him out and hate him out of ignorance.

*(OoO)*

The next day found Naruto, Anko, Guren, and Jiraiya back in a boat as Naruto propelled them towards the Land of Hot Water, right on the border of the Lands of Fire and Frost.

"While we travel, I'm going to be starting to train you in using that energy you seem so interested in," Jiraiya announced, much Naruto's excitement. Naruto grinned happily, but said nothing as he pushed them forward. In a matter of hours, they made land fall on the edge of the Land of Fire and started journeying north towards the border. Once they disembarked, Naruto summoned Ryuda to carry them on his back, having now easily surpassed the ten foot mark at his shoulder. "Now tell me, what do you know about nature energy?"

"I know that it's everywhere," Naruto answered. "That it's most likely some sort of energy made naturally by the world around us, and that it flows through everything. I know that when I use my elemental styles, I have to find different ways to work around it in order to properly manipulate my surroundings. Though it doesn't fight me as much when I create the element with my own chakra, those techniques are way weaker."

"That's right. Normally, the chakra inside of us is split into two types of energy: spiritual and physical. Moulding chakra is mixing those two energies into the proper combination for the technique you plan to perform. Hand signs are generally used to facilitate that process, though you're the notable exception. Natural energy is a third type of energy that can be collected from the world around us. Someone who is able to collect natural energy within themselves and combine and balance it with their spiritual and physical energies is known as a sage. Sages are capable of using what is known as Senjutsu and enter something known as Sage Mode."

"So, does that mean you can enter Sage Mode?" Naruto asked.

Jiraiya nodded. "When I was young, I accidentally reversed summoned myself to the realm of the toads. There they taught me how to sense and harness natural energy in order to augment my strength, speed, and the power of my techniques. Owryudan has laid claim to teaching you senjutsu, but I'm going to be helping you gather the natural energy around you. Lucky for you, your Kunshugan is going to be invaluable in practicing this."

"Why's that?"

"Because you can already see natural energy, and due to you needing to stay absolutely still to activate its power over time, you're well on your way to being able to collect natural energy."

"Sweet! So when do we get to start training?"

"We'll start once we make camp," Jiraiya stated. "I'm warning you now though, natural energy is extremely dangerous and hard to control. If you end up collecting too much, you will start turning to stone, and if that process completes, you'll be stuck as a statue forever. For that reason, you aren't to use shadow clones to practice this or gather natural energy until you have successfully controlled Sage Mode, nor will you practice gathering natural energy at all unless I'm present to supervise. Got it?"

Naruto gulped nervously and nodded. He had no idea that the risks of using the energy around him would be so great. Despite that, his resolve was unshaken, even as Guren and Anko exchanged worried looks. They continued to ride Ryuda until the sun started to set, pausing in a clearing within one of the many bamboo forests around the Land of Hot Water. Anko watched as Naruto and Jiraiya sat across from each other to begin Naruto's training, while Guren and Ryuda took the first guard shift. A couple hours passed, and Anko switched positions with Guren, smirking as she once again heard Naruto cry out in pain as Jiraiya smacked him with some sort of special rod that would keep him from becoming a statue. She created a shadow clone and sent it off to monitor one side of their camp while she and Ryuda kept watch over the other.

It wasn't until night had fallen and Anko was preparing to finish her shift that anything remotely interesting happened. As she fought to keep her eyes open out of boredom, Ryuda lifted his head and began sniffing the air, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"What is it?"

"I smell three people approaching from the south, east, and west."

Jiraiya, Naruto, and Guren all sprang into position and prepared themselves for an ambush. Naruto activated his Kunshugan and dove to the side just as a jet of purple-blue chakra streaked across the ground. He focused on the direction the attack came from and saw a boy about his age hiding between the stalks of bamboo. He wore a long-sleeved robe with brown sleeves and an orange stripe down the middle and brown pants tucked in bandages wrapped tightly around his lower legs. On his left arm was a forehead protector depicting three _Z_ s in a row, and on his right was some sort of demonic mask. His head was covered with a baggy, purple hood, covering most of his dark green hair except for the strand that fell between his pale green eyes.

Adding to his eery appearance, the boy seemed to float as he approached them. His feet never touching the ground.

"Naruto Uzumaki?" The boy asked quietly. Naruto nodded but jumped aside as another jet of chakra tore up the ground as it streamed towards him. "The dead demand you be punished. Your betrayal fills them with feelings of anger."

"Hold on, what are you talking about?" Jiraiya asked as the boy fired yet another chakra jet at his student. "Who are you?"

"My name is Yomito Hirasaka, heir to the Hirasaka clan, and we have come to punish Naruto Uzumaki for destroying my village."

Naruto jumped over another of Yomito as he launched several more jets of chakra and slipped into his lightning stance. "I think there's been some sort of mistake, I've never been to your village before. How could I destroy it?"

"Maybe you were too lost in the power that's sealed inside you to remember your village turning on ours," another voice called out as a purple-haired girl descended out of the forest to assault him with a flurry of kicks. She had red markings under her amber eyes, and wore a similar forehead protector to Yomito on top of a face plate with two horn-like extensions coming out of the top. She was dressed in a sleeveless pink kimono with a furry collar and a necklace consisting of several rings attached together by red strings.

"Alright, that's enough," Jiraiya announced as he slammed his hand on the ground. Within moments, the ground transformed into a muddy swamp and Naruto manipulated the mud to encase the girl while Ryuda simply raised his tail and wrapped it around Tomito, placing him dangerously close to his bared fangs to discourage any further resistance. Lastly, Anko and Guren rejoined them with a young boy with brown hair and pink markings on his face wrapped up in a large snake with several crystals floating in the air pointed at his neck. "Now, why don't we all just sit down and you explain what the hell you're talking about."

"What we're talking about is you Konoha scum betrayed our village and unleashed the Nine-Tails on us!" The girl shouted.

"And when did this happen?" Jiraiya asked.

"Not two months ago!" The brown haired boy shouted.

"That's impossible," Naruto countered. "Two months ago we were inside the capitol. These three can corroborate that."

"Then how do you explain the Nine-Tails attacking our village?" Tomito asked calmly.

 _Kit, let me talk to them,_ Kurama said. Naruto nodded and formed a ram seal while channeling his dad's chakra. A burst of smoke rose next to him, revealing a more feral looking clone with red eyes.

"So, you three think I would destroy your village?" Kurama asked with a cruel smirk as he leaked out some killing intent. All three of the prisoners started sweating underneath the malevolent presence before them. Kurama's smirk grew into a feral grin as he leaned forward putting his face mere inches from the brown-haired boy's. "Tell me what village was it that I supposedly attacked?"

"Y-you should k-know," the boy stuttered. "You were there."

Kurama jacked up his killing intent. "Maybe I was. If that's the case, do you really want to anger the creature that destroyed your village?"

The prisoners started shaking in place, while Anko felt sweat start leaking down the back of her neck.

"Yume. We're from the Village Hidden Among Dreams." The girl whimpered.

Kurama smirked. "Good, now tell me humans, have you ever felt a presence so terrible in all your lives?" He notched up his killing intent one last time, setting even Jiraiya on edge and all three of them started shaking their heads furiously. In an instant, Kurama's terrible presence disappeared and he smiled. "Then there's all the proof you need. If I, the greatest of all the Tailed-Beasts had attacked your village, you would never forget my presence. Just ask the shinobi of the leaf."

Kurama dispelled himself, and Naruto had to shake his head at his father's blunt way of going about things.

"Now that we've sorted that out," Jiraiya said with a sigh. "Why don't we all just calmly talk this out?" He waved a hand to Anko and Guren, who dispelled their snake and crystals while he simply yanked the girl out of the hardened mud encasing her and Ryuda dropped Tomito to the ground. They all gathered around the camp fire, and Naruto leaned back against his familiar as he listened to their story.

"My name is Taisa Amirigi," The boy in the purple and red samurai armor explained. "I'm the heir to the Amirigi clan." He pointed to the girl sitting next to him, "This is Ryuka Tenro, heir to the Tenro clan. And you've already met Tomito."

"Nice to meet you," Naruto croaked. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, heir to the Uzumaki, Namikaze, and Sunju clans." He held his hand out with a smile and Taisa raised an eyebrow before shaking it with his own. "With me are Anko Mitarashi, Guren, and Jiraiya of the Sannin. As well as my familiar, Ryuda, of the Dragon clan."

"Nice to formally meet you too, Naruto-san," Taisa returned while Ryuka and Tomito nodded as well. "What are a Sannin and three Konoha shinobi doing all the way out here?"

"Oh, we're not Konoha shinobi," Guren said. "We're from Uzu."

"Uzu?" Ryuka asked. "I don't know of any shinobi village named Uzu."

"It used to be a fairly strong village and ally of Konoha," Jiraiya explained. "Until it was destroyed in the Second Great Shinobi War. Recent political circumstances in Konoha have forced the Hokage to leave the village and re-establish herself in Uzu."

"What do you mean by recent political circumstances?" Tomito incquired.

"He means there was a coup," Anko replied bluntly. "Certain members of the council in Konoha stole Hokage-sama's power while she was away and banished her."

"So you decided to create a brand new village?"

"Sorta," Naruto explained sheepishly. "Because I'm a jinchuriki, I wasn't treated very well in the village. Mom and I didn't like that or the corruption within the higher ranks of the village, so I went to the capitol and formed an alliance between my three clans and the Daimiyo as well as the Shogun. With their support, I might have accidentally formed a new shinobi pact, so when we were banished we went to Uzu to set up a homebase while we complete missions to gather allies and funds. Technically, though, because she's still recognised by the Daimiyo as the Hokage, Konoha is a village full of missing-nin."

"Wow, we had heard that the capitol had been destroyed, but we couldn't have guessed so much had happened since we've been sorta isolated with our own rebuilding efforts," Ryuka muttered.

"Yup, so now we're on a mission to go help the shinobi of Yuga with a spree of crimes around the Land of Hot Water. Hopefully, we can find some more allies while we're there. Would be kinda cool to see Uzu repopulated again." Naruto sighed wistfully as he allowed his imagination to wander for a moment while Taisa, Ryuka, and Tomito exchanged looks.

"I think I sense a detour coming," Jiraiya muttered as Taisa turned back to face Naruto.

"Maybe we can both get what we want."

"Really?" Naruto asked. "You guys would come to live in Uzu?"

"Our rebuilding efforts haven't been going very well due to a lack of supplies and whatever it was that attacked destroying a huge part of the landscape," Ryuka explained. "My father is the leader of our village, I'm sure if I send him a letter explaining the situation, he might be willing to negotiate with your Hokage."

Naruto's face lit up, and the others couldn't help but feel the happiness radiating off of him. "That's awesome! I'll let Mom know right away what's going on. Your dad can go to Uzu with us on the way back and talk to her!"

"In the meantime," Jiraiya offered. "Why don't you come with us to Yuga? It will give us more of an opportunity to prove to you that we can be trusted, and look better to the leader there if they see that the Alliance of Uzu would send so many shinobi."

"Who said we were already part of this Alliance of yours?" Taisa asked.

"Well, it would either be get help from us, or go to Konoha, who are only going to help you at great cost to yourselves," Naruto replied. "Plus technically, your pact is with Uzu now anyways, since that's where the Hokage is."

"Alright," Taisa agreed. "We'll go with you."

 **A/N: Surprisingly, these Author's notes are one of the hardest things to write, so... Hope you liked it!**


	23. Chapter 23

The remainder of the trip to Yuga was rather uneventful. They arrived at the village, and Naruto found himself wondering if maybe his mom had made a mistake sending a self-proclaimed super pervert to an entire country full of hot springs. The leader of Yuga was a man by the name of Imada. He had a stern visage, but Naruto couldn't help but think he looked more like an angry walrus with his thick mustache and portly build. The forces of Yuga seemed to respect him though, as when his thundering voice rang through his offices they immediately snapped to work.

Jiraiya had introduced them to Imada, who had simply thrown a folder full of documents at him before grunting that they hurry and get to work with the other leaf shinobi that had come to pester him. This raised several eyebrows as they returned to the hotel where they would be staying. They soon found out what Imada meant when they entered the lobby of the hotel and wound up face to face with a four-man cell consisting of Kiba, Kanagi, Sakura, and Tsume. Kiba was surprised and happy to see his friends again and immediately ran up to greet Naruto.

"Naruto! It's been forever! How have you been?" Kiba asked excitedly.

Naruto shook his head and started signing, not wanting to give any information away in front of Sakura or the three from Yume.

 _No, Mom sent her and Sekki-chan to the Land of Waves to talk with Tazuna and Tsunami about some trade agreements for our new village before picking up Jiji and Konohamaru as well as Karin._

"So, it's true, then?" Kiba whispered. "Tsunade-sama really was banished and decided to form a new village?"

Naruto nodded his head, and looked around to see Tsume covertly listening as she spoke with the others and sent Sakura and Kanagi up to their rooms.

"Everything the ROOT agents told your parents is true. We've set up in Uzu and Mom is still recognized as the Hokage by the Daimiyo so long as both are under the new alliance."

"That's quite the development," Kiba remarked. "I'll have to be sure to relay this to Shino so he can tell his dad."

"And I'll have to talk it over with some of my fellow clan members," Tsume added, dropping any pretenses of subterfuge. "Though maybe this sort of thing is best discussed in private." She shifted her eyes over to the three Yume shinobi, and Naruto smiled.

"Don't worry about them, they want to join the Alliance as well. Someone destroyed their village with a fake Nine-Tails and they're looking for somewhere new to live."

"Naruto, I think Tsume's right. We are here on a mission that apparently has to do with the one these guys are on, so maybe we should all gather together and discuss that before moving on to anything more political," Jiraiya suggested.

Naruto nodded and they all followed Tsume and the others up the stairs to a large common room where Sakura and Kanagi were already waiting. Naruto noticed that Sakura wasn't carrying herself with any of her usual spunk and turned a curious eyebrow to Kiba.

 _She's been like this ever since Sasuke left the village. With the way things have changed recently, I think she's starting to see things differently._ Kiba signed. Naruto nodded and took a seat on the floor near Sakura smiling at her when she looked at him incredulously, but not saying a word.

"Alright," Jiraiya said once they were all seated. "Since, technically we're from different villages on the same mission, so it seems, I'm suggesting an information exchange. We'll tell you what we know if you tell us what you know."

"That seems agreeable," Tsume said. "Well, to start with, since Tsunade-sama was ousted, Hiashi Hyuga has been given the position of Hokage. With him in charge, the village has been drastically changing to be more militaristic. Hiashi wants to build up his forces, especially with the turmoil around the Land of Fire, I think he's going to make an attempt at conquering it. As a result we were sent here to help out the shinobi of Yuga as an act of good will before Hiashi sends more high-level shinobi to _discuss_ Yuga, and the Land of Hot Water, abandoning their pacifist ideals and throwing their support behind him."

"Tsume-san, are you sure it's _wise_ to be sharing such detailed information with enemy shinobi?" Kanagi asked.

"Are you sure it's wise to be questioning your superior officer, Kanagi?" Tsume shot back, silencing Kanagi with a glare.

"I can't say I'm surprised to hear Hiashi moving taking a more dictactorial approach to running the village," Jiraiya said thoughtfully. "In fact, we had predicted as much before leaving. With the way he was raised, Hiashi has a superiority complex matched only by the Uchiha."

Sakura flinched at the mention of Sasuke's clan and Naruto hurried to move the conversation along. "Why is Hiashi building forces, though? What does he plan to do with them?"

"This is an information _exchange_ , Uzumaki," Kanagi replied lowly. "We've told you everything you need to know and more, now hurry up and return the favour."

Naruto fought down his anger, despite Anko and Guren making no effort to restrain their own while the three Yume shinobi glared at Kanagi's lack of respect. "The _Hokage_ has moved to establish Uzushiogakure as the new main village of the Land of Fire's shinobi forces. Additionally, an international alliance has been formed between the Uzumaki, Namikaze, and Senju forces with the Daimiyo of the Land of Fire as well as the Shogun, who now holds the position of Hikari within the Land of Fire branch of the alliance. He and the Hokage are now equal in rank, and have moved to redirect their forces to active pursuit of the Alliance and their country's goals. We've come here to assist Yuga and build relations with them while hopefully increasing our client base."

"I don't know what you're talking about with this alliance, Uzumaki, but Hiashi-sama is the new Hokage now."

"Has he been officially recognised by the Daimiyo of the Land of Fire?" Anko asked. "Because if not, then he's nothing more than a usurper."

"Hebi-hana, that's enough. We've exchanged information relevant to our reasons for being here, we should move on."

Anko pouted but backed off while Jiraiya and Tsume pooled the information Imada had given them in the separate folders.

"According to this, the Land of Hot Water has seen an increase in crimes without much connection between them," Tsume read. "The only thing that the shinobi forces have been able to find is that at the location of a few of the crime sprees, there was a sort of calling card left over."

She raised a plastic bag and showed the contents to those gathered around her. Inside of it was a single Shogi tile with the symbol for king on its face. The others examined it, but found nothing remarkable about the tile. It was made from plain oak wood, and any lingering chakra signature or smells were faded away already.

"So we at least know that these crimes are connected," Anko surmised.

"But we don't know how or why," Guren followed.

"That's what we're here to investigate," Jiraiya said, reading through his file. "According to this, while there isn't that much of a pattern to the crime sprees, they do seem to be moving in opposite directions. Tsume, why don't you head south to one of the resort towns while we head north towards the coast? Naruto and Kiba can keep in contact through their voice seals so that we can keep an open line of communication should we find anything."

Tsume nodded and they all separated for the night. Naruto made his way down to one of the public hot springs. He shed the top of the robes the monks at the Fire Temple had given him, and found a nice smooth rock to meditate on. He crossed his legs and activated his Kunshugan as he held his newly acquired staff in front of himself. Jiraiya may have said not to practice with natural energy without his supervision, but he hadn't said anything about Naruto not studying it.

Naruto sat and watched as the staff siphoned the excess chakra leaking out of his body, mixing it with the natural energy around him. He found it interesting that the staff didn't creat the sage chakra by mixing equal parts of his chakra with the natural energy. Instead there was roughly twice as much of his chakra as there was natural energy, yet they mixed to form perfectly balanced sage chakra. Sighing, he placed the staff on the ground next to him (raising an eyebrow when the staff seemed to stand still all on its own), and rose to his feet. Maybe some light training would help him figure things out.

He turned his attention to the pool of scalding water in front of him and took a deep breath as he shifted into his water style. He was about to begin manipulating the water before him when he felt a second presence join him in the communal springs. With another deep breath he left his stance and turned to face the door where Sakura was standing sheepishly against the frame. She was dressed in sandals and a robe as she watched him.

Naruto noticed the nervous hunch in her shoulders and smiled comfortingly as he waved a hand to beckon her over. Sakura nearly shook as she shuffled over to stand on the opposite side of the pool from him, and Naruto smiled once more before returning to his training. He considered covering himself back up to conceal the scars that marred his torso as well as his prosthetic arm, but ultimately decided against it, figuring that the damage was done and he didn't want to draw more attention to them than necessary.

Neither of them spoke as Sakura watched Naruto flow through the motions of his water style, eventually manipulating the water in the hot spring to rise up and join him in his fluid dance. While he moved, Naruto considered the differences between manipulating the water he found in nature, and water he or others created with their chakra. The biggest difference was obviously the presence of natural energy. When someone used a water jutsu, the water was laced with their own chakra, which meant Naruto would have to overpower them with his own chakra to gain control of the water. While that wasn't terribly difficult, it was a well documented fact that many jutsu were more powerful if they used aspects of nature that were already present, as opposed to the user creating them. Naruto could see the difference when he tried to manipulate the water around him. The natural energy saturating the water still fought him for control, but once he had gained that control, it didn't disappear like the chakra of a person did. Instead, it seemed that the natural energy would seemingly bend to his will, flowing through the water as he manipulated it. He still couldn't do more than manipulate the energy, but Naruto knew from his one experience using the sage chakra within his staff to rebuild Uzu, that if he somehow learned to manipulate and control the natural energy itself, it would effectively remove many of the limits on what he was capable of. He would no longer be forcing the energy around him to submit, but taking it within himself and using it to mold the world around him. If only there weren't the risk of turning to stone.

His thoughts were interrupted when Sakura quietly cleared her throat. "U-um… Naruto? Can I ask you something?" Naruto spun in place and gently channeled the water back into the hot spring before nodding with an open smile. "Why are you acting so nice with me? I treated you just as horribly as Kanagi or Sasuke-ku… Sasuke did. So, why do you still glare at Kanagi, but you seem to be okay with me being around you?"

Naruto sat down on the rock where he had been meditating and beckoned Sakura over to sit across from him. Once she was sitting cross legged, Naruto held out his artificial hand to her. "Take my hand," he whispered. Sakura did as instructed and gasped when Naruto channeled his chakra through his hand to connect with her own. "Your spiritual energy is turbulent. There's more that is weighing on you than idle curiosity concerning how I've acted."

Sakura gaped at his ability to read her emotions so easily, and averted her eyes when she felt that his piercing blue ones were looking down into the depths of her soul.

"I-I'm confused," Sakura mumbled. "So much has happened so fast, and I don't know what to do. I feel like I don't know who I am anymore."

Naruto nodded and quickly bit his free hand, summoning Ryuda to wrap around them both and provide Sakura with something to lean against. After a quick mental conversation, both he and Ryuda flexed their chakra, lacing it with as many positive, comforting feelings as they could, and creating an aura around them that Naruto hoped would have the opposite affect as when someone laced their chakra with their hatred and negative emotions to create killing intent.

Sakura relaxed even further into Ryuda's side, confirming Naruto's theory, and Naruto smiled as he spoke. "Why don't we go through everything, and hopefully by talking about it, we can figure those two things out?"

Sakura nodded and, without further prompting, started to vent. "My dad died when the Kyubi attacked, and my mom was always so busy with the council that I was left alone a lot. That's when I met Ino. I was playing in the park, when some older kids started making fun of my forehead. She came to my rescue and yelled at them until they all left me alone. After that, we became best friends. We were inseperable, even when those kids came back with their friends and threatened to beat us up, Ino stood her ground until they surrounded us. They were about to beat us up when another kid shouted at them to stop and leave us alone, distracting them long enough for us to sneak away. After that, we both decided to become shinobi, so that nobody could bully us, and we could protect other people from them too. When we got to the academy, we ended up both going after Sasuke. At first it was just because that was what all the other girls were doing and I wanted to fit in, but at some point it became more for me."

"You found you actually really liked him?" Naruto asked.

"I dunno. Deep down, I think I might have. He just always seemed so alone, and he always had this look on his face like he was in pain. I figured that maybe I could show him that he wasn't alone, and that there were still people who cared about him. But I got lost in it all, my mom heard that I liked him and actually started spending more time with me. She was so happy that I was interested in Sasuke, that I thought she was happy I had my first crush. Eventually, I forgot about doing anything but trying to make Sasuke like me. I grew my hair out and started dieting, but nothing worked. It wasn't until that first mission to the Land of Waves that I remembered why I signed up to be a shinobi in the first place, but by then I was so obsessed with Sasuke that I couldn't stop myself. When he left the village, I begged him to stay, and when that didn't work, I begged him to take me with him. Instead, he just called me annoying and knocked me out." Tears started to leak out of the corners of her eyes and her voice cracked as she continued. "I had wasted all those years trying to make him like me, I abandoned my best friend and acted like a terribe person, but when it really mattered, when Sasuke really needed my help, I couldn't do a thing."

"Sakura, it's not your fault he left," Naruto said. "Not only is Orochimaru's seal affecting his behaviour, but even before that, I don't think you or anyone could have done anything. Sasuke's been so lost in his own hatred for so long that it's all he thinks about. He won't allow himself to care for anyone else. It's noble that you wanted to help him, and show him that people still care about him, but you can't allow that to come at the cost of your own happiness."

"Maybe, but how am I supposed to fix anything?" Sakura asked. "Ever since he left, my mom has been cold, saying that I cost our family a shot at greatness. Then Tsunade-sama left and Hiashi-sama took her place as Hokage and everything in the village has only gotten worse. There's a shortage of funds, and genin like me are being sent on more and more dangerous missions. I don't feel like the kind of shinobi who helps people anymore. I feel like the kind of person they tell us the other village's shinobi are like. The kind who use their power to scare people into obeying them."

"I can't tell you how to make up for your mistakes, Sakura," Naruto replied. "Though I can tell you that an apology is usually a good place to start. As for these developments in Konoha, you should realise that you are a member of Hiashi's military, and that being a shinobi doesn't mean being some sort of storybook hero. It means doing what is necessary and following orders. Konoha, is just like any other village, there are good people, like Mom and the Ichiraku's, and not as good people. It's up to you to decide whether you'll become the kind of shinobi that fights for what's right and face the consequences, or who goes along with what you know is wrong and avoid them."

"Which kind are you?"

"I'm the kind who is trying to change things, though it's not up to me to decide whether that's for the better or worse."

Sakura took a deep breath and stood up shakily. "Thank you for listening to me, Naruto. I still don't know how you can stand to be around me, but if you can find some way to tolerate me, than maybe I can get others to as well."

Naruto nodded and watched as she left before standing back up and resuming his training.

"So, you're a therapist now?" Ryuda asked with a chuckle.

"I'm whatever I need to be to help others," Naruto replied simply as he manipulated the water back into the air.

"Well said, Naruto-kun." Naruto spun to face whoever had entered the hot spring without him noticing, water at the ready, and found himself facing a beautiful woman standing atop the water. Her bare feet barely created any ripples on the unnaturally calm surface of the water as she walked across its surface. She wore a shimmering white kimono underneath a black haori, and her dark hair cascaded down her back while framing her angelic rounded face. Her glowing blue eyes held him in place, and her voice sounded somewhat familiar as she spoke. "It speaks well of your character to allow past grievances to flow off of you and provide assistance to a confused girl who has lost her way."

"Wait a second," Naruto murmured as the familiar voice and eyes summoned memories of flying high above the ground, facing down a flaming monster that threatened to burn down the forests around the Fire Temple. "Ryuzuka? Is that you?"

Ryuzuka smiled and stepped off the water. "Indeed. I've taken this form to better fit in while I instruct you."

"Instruct me on what?" Naruto asked.

"The toads may have mastered the arts of using natural energy, and their pupil, in spite of his… perversions, is a worthy enough teacher to guide you in the process of gathering it and entering Sage Mode. However, we dragons are the ones who can teach you how to truly understand the energy flwoing all around you and master its use."

"But, I haven't even figured how to properly gather natural energy yet, let alone create sage chakra," Naruto argued. "How can you teach me senjutsu without knowing those first?"

"It's fortunate then that you carry with you a staff imbued with the chakra of a sage," Ryuzuka countered. "Myself, and Ryusanda have already volunteered our services to Owryudan-sama, and will be overseeing your instruction where it concerns our own elements."

"Does that mean he has to prove himself to the other three before they'll help him as well?" Ryuda asked.

"I'm afraid so. Unless Owryudan-sama orders them himself, though I doubt he would do such a thing. He would prefer you earn their respect yourself, Naruto-kun."

"That's fine," Naruto replied. "I'm happy to be able to learn from you Ryuzuka-sensei."

Ryuzuka smiled and took a seat near the edge of the hot spring, beckoning Naruto over to sit next to her. "Now, as I'm sure you've realised through your own investigation, the five primary natures of chakra have radically different energies."

Naruto nodded. "That's part of why I have different taijutsu styles to help me control them. After I found that I could mold my chakra with my body movements instead of using hand seals, I found that there were certain ways of moving that made it easier to control different elements."

"That's correct, Naruto-kun. While stillness is necessary for the collection of the natural energy around you, channeling the energy within yourself through movement helps with controlling it. You've done well to study the elements themselves to help you develop your fighting styles, and now I have seen that you have begun to study the energies within them to further your understanding." Ryuzuka raised her hand and a stream of water rose out of the spring. With a flick of the wrist, the water floated towards her outstretched hand, circling and flowing around it. "Water is the most versatile of the primary elements. Its fluid nature allows it to change both shape and state quite easily." She twisted her wrist again and the water gathered into the palm of her hand before freezing into a small statue of herself in her dragon form. Melting it, she resumed slithering the stream through the air as she continued her lecture. "With enough practice, one can change the water they manipulate however they choose. From its viscosity, to its toxicity, to its mass, water is, above all else, the element of change. To understand the nature of water, and its uses in combat, is to understand the flow of energy. To be able to shift fluidly from offense to defense, and use your opponents strength against them. The same can be said when manipulating water's natural energy. Now, I want you to focus on the water before you, and channel the chakra within your staff to meet with the natural energy within the spring."

Naruto did as instructed, activating his Kunshugan to watch as he focused on the energy churning inside the gem floating at the top of his staff. Once he had gotten a hold of it, he directed it towards the water, letting it flow into the spring on its own, acting merely as a guide rather than forcing it to bend to his will. The sage chakra connected with the natural energy around him, and Naruto was forced to close his eyes and gasp at the astounding amount of information he received. Whereas before, Naruto could sense the water he manipulated like he would a weapon, now, it was as if he had become an extension of the water. He could sense every minute detail and shift in energy within the spring, as well as sense all the water around him; from the steam in the air to the water flowing through the grass and trees, he could sense everything.

Ryuzuka watched as he struggled to rein his focus in on just the water within the spring, and spoke softly so as not to break his concentration. "You'll find that water, as with everything else, is just another form of energy, and is always around you in some way, shape, or form. Once you have focused on the water within the spring, I want you to try to merge your energy with it. Allow the natural energy within your chakra to bind you to the water."

Naruto grunted as he moved his hands in wide, slow circles in front of him. Slowly, the water rose out of the spring, but he felt like it was still fighting against him. "Do not bend the energy within the water to your will, but rather the energy within yourself. Channel your own chakra, and allow the natural energy within it to direct the flow of the water." Naruto nodded, and, with his eyes still closed, focused on the energy within himself. He channeled the sage chakra down from his staff and through his body. Moving his arms, he took himself back to the basics of when he was teaching himself to mold chakra with his body movements. He visualized the water flowing between his hands, and was reminded of when Jiraiya was teaching him the Rasengan. He rarely used the technique itself, but the training had gone a long way in helping further his understanding of shape manipulation. Thinking on his father's technique, Naruto started moving his arms and molding his chakra into a sphere. At the same time, he felt the natural energy connect his chakra with the water before him, and his senses expanded to the streams of water rising out of the spring to flow in spin in several different directions. Opening his eyes, Naruto couldn't contain the grin when he looked upon the beachball-sized Rasengan made of water floating within his arms as they moved to contain the power therein. Unlike the water inside the balloon, this sphere had far more power than the strongest Rasengan Naruto had ever made. Laughing, he unwound the sphere and directed the water to flow around him, astounded when it maintained the chakra he had infused it with, and amazed when he easily manipulated it into a small water dragon technique.

"That's a very good start, Naruto-kun," Ryuzuka said. "Continue to train, and practice extending your senses. With enough work, and practice with the sage chakra within your staff, you shoud find that your understanding will grow. The next step, after mastering using your staff as a medium is to study the way natural energy flows and figure out how best to connect your chakra to it when you use your own sage chakra."

They both stood, and Naruto bowed to Ryuzuka. She returned the gesture before turning and walking into the hot spring, disappearing under the water as she returned to her realm.

*(OoO)*

The next day, Jiraiya, Naruto, Anko, Guren, and the trio from Yume were dashing through the forests of the Land of Hot Water towards the small port town of Mutsunai when Jiraiya called for a halt. They froze and watched from the trees as several dozen samurai marched by on the path below. Looking closely, Naruto spied the symbol for lightning inscribed on their left shoulder plates.

 _What are they doing here?_ Naruto signed.

 _I don't know,_ Jiraiya replied. _But it can't be anything good._

As if in response to their silent questions, Tsunade's voice started speaking in their ears as she activated her voice seal.

 _"Naruto, Jiraiya, Anko, Guren. I just received an intelligence report from one of Danzo's ROOT operatives."_

"Does it have anything to do with samurai from the Land of Lightning marching through the Land of Hot Water?" Jiraiya asked quietly as they watched the contingent continue down the road.

 _"Potentially, our intelligence states that an assassination attempt was made on the Daimiyo of the Land of Earth. He's now in hiding, but I get the feeling it won't be too long until whoever wants him dead hunts him down. I also received a messanger hawk from Han saying that Iwa forces are considering marching on the Land of Wind."_

"Why?" Anko asked. "The entire reason they agreed to help with the invasion of Konoha was because of a lack of resources. What does Iwa have to gain from attacking them?"

"It could simply be to remove one of the big five while they're down," Guren suggested as they got continued heading north.

"Or that before Mom left, Konoha was providing so much aid that Suna was starting to look like a satellite village. It could be that the Tsuchikage thinks that he's going to strike a blow against Konoha by taking out their allies." Naruto said.

"Intel did state that Konoha was starting to strong arm Suna more and more after we left," Jiraiya added. "And with the more militaristic turn the village has taken, it could be enough to spark another war between Konoha and Iwa."

 _"On top of that there are the countries they will have to march through to consider,"_ Konan's voice countered. _"If Konoha is part of their goal, then it's entirely possible they will try to march through the Land of Rain."_

"Isn't that where your old friend hangs out?" Anko asked.

 _"Nagato may have lost sight of Akatsuki's true goals, but he still remembers the last time our country was the stage for the majority of the battling between Konoha, Iwa, and Suna. He's unlikely to allow any foreign force to cross his borders, and if they manage to force their way in, I don't doubt that he would take it upon himself to remove them."_

 _"I hate to say it, but that might be a good thing,"_ Tsunade said. _"If Konoha takes the invasion of the Land of Wind as some sort of proxy attack, then Nagato may be able to divert their attention from us for long enough to build up our own defences, as well as turn people our way."_

"This is all assuming Suna is their goal," Naruto said. "Han-nii's message only said that they were preparing to march on the Land of Wind."

"What else could it be?" Guren asked.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know, but chaos is suddenly spreading all over, and I get the feeling it's not as unconnected as we think. Mom, can you send a message to Gaara, explaining our situation and this intel Han-nii gave us. Also, give him a warning about Akatsuki, and invite him and his siblings to Uzu. You might want to use a messanger slug to do it too, see if they can be reverse summoned to you without anyone noticing. Also send a message to Fujika and Yazawa, let them know what's going on, and try to spread a message of unity under the alliance wherever they go as well as letting people know that the Land of Fire and Uzu are both willing to take in refugees. Meanwhile have Danzo send his ROOT agents to monitor for any foreign hostiles. If they find any, try to have Yazawa's forces handle them while only helping in a way that creates the least collateral damage. Make sure that those they help know that the samurai and shinobi are both from our alliance and there to help. If you can, tell him to order them to subtly put down Konoha in the process, we want the people to be on our side."

Tsunade acknowledged his idea and closed the connection between them.

"Man, you guys really are out to change the world, aren't you?" Ryuka asked. She, Taisa, and Tomito had all watched, impressed as their companions quietly discussed the change of events while Naruto seemed to naturally take charge. In spite of his lower rank, the others all seemed to listen to what he had to say and followed his orders.

"At the moment, it's less about changing it, and more about keeping it from tearing itself apart," Naruto quipped, his demeanor shifting from that of a serious commander to his usual cheerful thirteen year old self. Activating his voice seal one more time, he relayed what he had learned to Hinata and Haku, who were both on their way back to Uzu with Tsunami, Inari, Tazuna, Konohamaru, and Hiruzen, before contacting Shino and Kiba to relay the information pertaining to the assassination attempt in the Land of Earth and the movement of the Land of Lightning's samurai forces, telling them both to inform their parents. He added that the offer for their clans to come to Uzu was still open, and he would help in facilitating their exodus, but had to force himself to omit any other details. He desperately wanted to make sure his friends were safe, and it tore him apart that he had to willfully withhold information from them, potentially sending them or the ones they loved to war, but at the moment they were still Konoha shinobi, and their desire to help those they loved would inevitably lead to Hiashi being privy to Iwa's movements and potentially harm Uzu and the alliance.

Jiraiya patted him sympathetically on the shoulder as he wrestled with the feelings inside of him, and Naruto smiled at the display of understanding. Hopefully, Tsume would see the benefit of joining their alliance by the end of this mission, and once Shibi, and other clans, saw the Inuzuka, the clan known for their borderline fanatical loyalty, joining up with him, they would start considering it too. Shoving his scheming and potting and worrying aside for later, Naruto focused on the small town they were rapidly approaching.

Mutsunai wasn't overly remarkable. As far as port towns went it was smaller than most, providing mostly hotel services for the crowds of tourists who arrived by sea to partake in experiencing the many hot springs for which the country was named. After checking into one of the lower cost hotels (much to Jiraiya's chagrin), the Naruto, Anko, and Guren made their way to the short wooden building with the symbol for the Yuga shinobi forces engraved above the door. The next hour was spent waiting for the head jounin of the area, a stern, bald man by the name of Sugita, to admit them to a meeting. Afterwards, the group found themselves buried in so much beauracy that Anko looked ready to unleash her snakes on everyone in the building. As it turned out, the shinobi forces were facing pressure from many of the business owners of the town to downplay the severity of the crimes taking place, out of fear of word spreading and scaring away potential customers.

As it stood, Sugita was unwilling to provide them with any additional help other than allowing them to read through the reports given by the shinobi who arrived at the scenes of the crimes so long as they promised not to take them out of the building.

"The nerve of that guy!" Anko exclaimed once they had found an interrogation room to look over the files in. "He's more focused on bringing in tourists than he is keeping his own people safe!"

"It's despicable," Guren agreed, leafing through one of the reports. "He has allowed himself to be bullied by those he is supposed to protect."

"What do you suppose he do, then?" Naruto countered.

"He should get off his ass and start properly investigating," Anko replied.

"But that's what _we_ were hired to do. We're here to solve these crimes without drawing too much attention to them. Sugita is just following orders and letting us investigate."

"Which means that the one facing pressure isn't Sugita," Guren concluded. "It's Imada. Or whoever hired us."

Naruto smiled and tapped his nose, indicating she was right.

"That doesn't make it any better!" Anko cried. "That means that the entirety of their shinobi forces are just servants to the people their supposed to protect."

"Again, Hebi-hana, what else would you have the walrus do? Declare martial law? Usurp the Daimiyo of this country in the name of keeping it safe? We're supposed to be servants of the people. What's the point in keeping someone safe if in the process you ruin their life?"

"So they're just going to sit around and do nothing while we do al the heavy lifting?"

"The Land of Hot Water relies almost entirely on tourism for its income," Naruto explained. "If word gets out that it has become too dangerous for people to visit, the money will stop coming in. As such, my best guess is that whoever hired us, is concerned about these crimes, but recognises what will happen if this gets too big. On the flip side, it's probably a nasty shot to the ego for the shinobi of a nation that has managed to maintain peaceful neutrality to have to call in help from elsewhere. Internationally, I've read that the Yuga shinobi are generally seen with contempt because they've pretty much switched gears from a military force to what amounts to a glorified police force, while the few samurai the nation has take care of things like border patrol. Now that we've come along, the shinobi are afraid that people inside their country will find them as useless as those outside."

"So why call us at all?" Guren asked. "Why not use their own shinobi forces to operate covertly?"

"I'm not sure," Naruto replied. "But it was a good idea for mom to tell us to lose the leaf headbands. That way, if we can show the people here that we're here to help, then we might find ourselves with a new ally outside the Land of Fire."

"What good will making an ally out of a tourist attraction do?" Anko incquired. "Konoha wants to push them out of their peace-loving ways, so I doubt they'll go along with it if we ask for the same."

Naruto simply smiled and went back to work, his mind already formulating plans. "I'm sure we can think of something. Besides, allies aren't just measured by what they bring to the table. I don't want people to think I'm some sort of conqueror, or scheming politician. I just see the opportunity to place someone else reliably into the friend column."

Anko and Guren shared a look, and Anko raised an eyebrow before Guren shrugged and also returned to reading.

*(OoO)*

They spent a couple hours going through the assortment of case files, only to find that, not only did the crimes cover an area the span of the Land of Hot Water's entire coastline, the lack of connection meant that they would be forced to come back and continue their search through the beauraucratic nightmare.

As they were ushered out by a random shinobi working within the office, Naruto found himself struck with an idea and turned to walk directly into Sugita's office.

"What?" The man grunted, not looking up from the papers on his desk.

"Excuse me, Sugita-san," Naruto said, channeling chakra to his voice and bowing low. "I just wanted to thank you for being so accommodating in our investigation and get your opinion on something." He smiled as the flattery and request for help buttered the jounin up.

"What do you want to know?" The man asked, now looking him in the eye.

"What, in your opinion, makes you think these crimes are somehow connected? We have gone through the first box of files you gave us and found very little directly linking any of them."

Sugita leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of his chin. "You're right that they don't seem connected at all. Imada-sama says that other towns have found a shogi piece or something at several of the crime scenes, but even that only links the crimes where one was found."

"Are you suggesting that not all the crimes are linked together?" Naruto incquired.

Sugita raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Maybe, but that's for you to find out. I have other things to do."

 **A/N: And like that we shift gears from politics to mystery solving. What does it mean if not all the crimes are linked together? Who, in fact, was the person who hired Naruto and the gang if not Mr. Walrus? How will Naruto's sage training progress with extra lessons from the Embodiment of Water? When will I stop asking all these questions?**


	24. Chapter 24

Naruto once again found himself training in a communal hot spring. He worked on practicing what Ryuzuka had taught him about manipulating the water around him, both with the sage chakra in his staff, and his own chakra. He could tell that he was just starting to scrape the surface of all there was to learn about the world around him and how chakra helped him understand how to interact with it, and that he was a long way from even considering using the potent sage chakra in combat. Regardless, he didn't let that intimidate him, and worked diligently to improve himself.

While he moved the water around him, focusing his senses and allowing the fluid to become an extension of himself, he considered his current mission. His talk with Sugita had raised more questions than answers, and Naruto couldn't stop thinking about what he had said about the shogi pieces connecting various crimes. He had left a disguised shadow clone to keep reading through the files, and hoped that when it dispelled he would have more information to work with.

Sensing another presence join him in the hot spring, Naruto smiled and pushed his contemplations aside for the moment as he swiped the water in front of him, freezing it and catching the kunai Anko had hurled at him.

"I see your reflexes are still sharp," Anko said.

Naruto grinned and turned to face her only to freeze, the water he was controlling splashing to the ground as he took in the vision before him. Clothed in only a burnt orange bikini, Anko sashayed through the steam rising from the hot spring like a dream. She smirked as his eyes roamed over her figure, unable to pull away as she slowly lowered herself into the hot water. A quiet part of her mind that sounded suspiciously like Kurenai tried to remind her that she had six years on Naruto and shouldn't be teasing him like this, but it was quickly overshadowed by the thrill that shot up her spine as she crooked her finger and Naruto left his staff standing on the ground behnd him to join her in the spring. He didn't even bother to remove the bottom half of his robes, shedding only his mesh undershirt as he lowered himself in the water.

That little Kurenai in her head was completely shut up as she looked up and down his slender torso. Already, he was taller than her (the benefits to having the world's best medic as your mother, making sure you were properly nourished), and the intense training he subjected himself had burned off almost every trace of fat, leaving only toned muscle. He wasn't overly mucular, having a body more like a runner's, though Anko certainly wasn't complaining. If not for his face still having a hint of youth to it, she could have easily mistaken him for a man the same age as her. The scars littering his body added to the effect, and while it saddened Anko to think of someone so young having more scars than anybody save maybe Ibiki, she couldn't deny that they gave Naruto a sort of wild, battle-hardened air to him. Her gaze fell on the dark metal of his right arm. While Naruto saw it as some sort of deformity, and usually made an effort to conceal it, Anko found herself reaching out as he approached to run her hands over it, feeling the rapidly heating surface. She noted the difference between the metal covering a part of his torso and the arm itself. The metal on his torso felt like plates of armor that had been attached to Naruto's skin over a portion of his pectoral and collarbone in the front, and wrapping over his trapezoid to do the same to his shoulder blade in the back, shifting with his every movement. His arm, however, was much different. The metal took the form of countless tiny threads that coiled together to reproduce the actual muscles of the arm and shoulder, and moved completely organically, bunching and stretching with his every movement.

Looking Naruto in the eyes, she took his right hand in both of her own, silently waiting for permission. He nodded, and she smiled softly as she raised the hand to eye level. Unlike the rest of the arm, the hand wasn't a perfect recreation of the musculature, but rather looked more like a gauntlet of some sort, with plates covering his fingers and the back of his hand. Turning it over, Anko could still see the threads of muscles between the plates, however the looked less like a lower layer and more like they were actually connecting each individual plate to the rest. She raised the hand to her lips and looked Naruto in the eye as she planted a soft kiss on the palm, channeling a little bit of chakra through her lips, so that he could truly feel her.

Naruto smiled and shifted his hand to cup her cheek, channeling his own chakra in reciprocation. He couldn't help but flush a little bit when Anko's hand came up and her thumb stroked the whiskers on his cheek, prompting a soft rumbling to rise from his chest and making her giggle. They continued this slow exploration of each other's bodies, staying away from anywhere too adventurous at the moment, and eventually Anko found herself straddling Naruto's lap.

She gasped as he placed a soft kiss on her Curse Mark, warmth filling her chest as Naruto channeled his comforting aura and continued to worship that one spot. It was as if he was trying to replace all the pain and sadness she associated with it with memories of himself and the feel of his lips on her skin. Unable to control herself anymore, Anko guided his lips up to meet hers, and couldn't contain a whimper of pleasure as he deepened the kiss. They continued to hold each other, and time seemed to warp. Seconds became hours, minutes became days, and Anko found herself hoping that this tiny, happy slice of eternity never ended. Unfortunately, luck was not on their side as when they finally separated and leaned their foreheads together, a scream tore through the air.

Snapping to attention, Naruto gently pulled Anko off his lap and leapt to action, clearing the fence surrounding the hot spring in a single jump as he ran towards the source of the screaming. Anko quickly followed him, casting a quick illusion to appear fully clothed, and they picked up the pace as the screaming suddenly stopped. Running across the rooftops, Naruto channeled a miniscule amount of Kurama's chakra, ignoring his father's tired grumbling, and zeroed in on an alley near the docks where he felt several chakra presences.

Lowering his restriction seals a couple levels, he rocketed towards the alley, dropping to the ground just in time to see half a dozen young men closing in on two women. One was laying on the ground, gasping quietly as she held her hands against a kunai lodged inside her stomach, while her friend was huddled against the wall, clothing torn and tears streaming down her face. Rage threatened to over power Naruto, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to restrain himself enough to leave any survivors once he intervened. With the last bit of rational thought, he activated his Kunshugan, memorising the faces of every one of the dead men, before channeling more of Kurama's chakra to appear more feral.

"Leave her alone," he snarled, drawing the attention of the men.

The biggest of the group stepped forward and smirked, though Naruto could tell that it was a thin façade to cover his fear. "This ain't got nothin' to do with you, friend. So you best run along before me and my compatriots here decide to invite your pretty little friend there to join in the fun."

The thinly veiled threat against _his_ Hebi-hana was the final straw for Naruto. He could have easily taken them all out with a quick application of any of his elemental abilities, but now he wanted to _feel_ them break under his fists. With a snarl, Naruto leapt forward, Kurama's chakra making him feel even more like a wild animal as he slammed his right fist into the knee of the large man. What followed next was nothing short of a slaughter as Naruto tore through them with his bare hands. Even while lost to his protective fury, his inner tactician shone through, as he followed his first shot by quickly delivering powerful blows to the throat of each of the men, crushing their throats and preventing them from screaming. After that, it was their legs, as he took advantage of his strength, and the fact that one of his arms was made of a metal stronger than anything naturally found on this earth, to shatter each of their kneecaps. The last of the men had tried to fight back, but Naruto had simply caught his punch, breaking the bones in his hand while Kurama's corrosive chakra started to leak out and burn his skin.

Anko saw what was happening and was glad to see Jiraiya appear and summon a toad to swallow one of the men as Naruto snapped the neck of his third victim. She ran in just as Naruto seated himself upon the corpse of the fifth man and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him up and burying his head in her chest. Haku had shared with her and the other girls her experience with Naruto's fierce protectiveness, and while it had appeared briefly during the invasion of Konoha, this was the first time Anko had properly seen Naruto's darker side. Unsurprisingly, she wasn't afraid at all. She, more than most, understood that a large part of that feral protectiveness was born of Naruto knowing what it's like to be alone and never wanting to go back to the way things were, but Tsunade had shared that the Nine-Tails chakra within him was particularly volatile and amplified his emotions to a fever pitch. She could see the proof of that as she stroked his back and whispered reassurances of her safety in his ear. Where before, Kurama's chakra had been bubbling out of Naruto's body, burning anything it touched as it churned and roiled around him, now as he calmed and allowed himself to feel her pressed close to him, it changed. The wild bubbling slowed and the chakra cloaking them merely felt warm, rather than burning to the touch, it now looked almost like she and Naruto were surrounded in soft, red, translucent flames before receding inside his body.

The moment was broken by a cry from the one of the woman they had saved while the other made choking gasps as she clutched at her stomach. Without further prompting, Naruto placed his hand on both women and zeroed in on Guren's chakra signature before shunshinning back to their hotel room. He was lucky Tsunade had drilled so much medical know-how into his head, even before he became her student, as he quickly got to work. While his chakra control was never good enough to perform the higher level healing techniques, Naruto did have a firm grasp on the more basic, lower-leveled ones. Combined with his massive reserves, it was no problem for him to pull the kunai out of the girl, and quickly get to work healing some of the more life-threatening damage before tearing apart the sheet on one of the beds an wrapping it around her wound. He had just finished when Jiraiya and Anko appeared in the room behind him.

"You'll never guess what we found in one of the pocket of one of those scumbags," Anko announced. Naruto turned and felt his eyebrows raise as Anko held up a pair of two more shogi tyles.

"Why would he have two shogi tyles?" Guren asked.

Anko shrugged. "Dunno, but there's more. Look at this, they aren't both king pieces."

She handed them over to Guren and she inspected them. "One's the king, and one is the lance."

Naruto took the pieces next and activated his Kunshugan while Jiraiya addressed the uninjured of the the two women.

"Excuse me, Ma'am. I was wondering if you could tell us anything you knew about those men who were attacking you and your friend?"

The girl shook slightly as she nodded. "T-they're part of a gang called the Lances. They haven't been around too long, but they claim that they have members all around the Land of Hot Water. I don't really know anything else about them. I'm sorry."

Jiraiya smiled comfortingly as he patted her shoulder. "That's fine, could you tell us your names? Then I can take you to hospital."

"No!" The girl cried. "I mean, no, thank you. There aren't really any hospitals nearby. My friend and I will be fine by the morning thanks to your help."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, and could tell that the others all found this suspicious as well. Jiraiya smiled anyway, playing along for the time being. "Alright then. Could I at least learn your names anyway?"

The girl took a moment to contemplate his request before answering. "Fu-Fukuyo. Fukuyo Wasabi. This is my… friend, Nakasone."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Fukuyo-san," Jiraiya said. Introductions went around the room, before they left the women to rest, a shadow clone keeping watch over them, while they all congregated in another of their rooms.

"So that reeked of suspicion," Ryuka declared once the door was closed.

"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean it has anything to do with our current investigation," Jiraiya said. "Naruto, it might be helpful to share this information with Kiba, to see if they've run into anything similar." Naruto nodded and activated his voice seal, relaying the information to Kiba.

 _"We haven't seen any gang members like that,"_ Kiba replied. _"But the jounin commander here told us that there has been an increase in burgalary and robbery over the last couple weeks. Then again, this village is so small, that it doesn't take much to make a noticeable difference. We'll keep our eyes out and get back to you if we come across anything of the sort though."_

Naruto nodded and repeated what Kiba said to the group while Jiraiya summoned the toad that had swallowed one of the gangsters earlier. The toad regurgitated the man onto the floor and Naruto bent down to repair his throat while he was still unconscious. Once he was finished, he stepped back while Anko –now fully dressed –summoned several snakes to wrap around the man's body before creating a small ball of water with his chakra and dumbing it on the man's face.

The man groaned and spluttered as he shook the water out of his mop of dirty blonde hair. Now that they got a proper look at him, it was clear that he was hardly even a man. His thin, sunken face only had the beginnings of stubble growing patchily from his cheeks, and his voice cracked when he yelped in fear after realising where he was.

"Please, don't hurt me!" The boy whimpered. "I didn't even want to mess with those girls! It was all Yamaji's idea!"

Anko tittered while Naruto subtly put up a privacy seal. "Oh, now why would I hurt you?" She asked sweetly. "A cute little thing like you wouldn't last thirty seconds with me. Instead I'm just going to ask you some questions, and if I like your answers, I'll keep you from becoming a late-night snack for my adorable little snakes. That sound fair to you?"

The boy whimpered and nodded as tears started streaming down his face. Anko smiled widely and plopped herself down in front of him while the rest of them took their leave.

The next day, Naruto woke to find Anko humming happily to herself, and approached her quietly before wrapping his arms around her and pressing himself against her back. "I take it your little chat with our friend last night went well?" He whispered in her ear.

Anko smiled and leaned back against him. "Oh, Nishi-kun and I got along famously. It would have been better if we found a good shinobi to break, but after such a long dry spell, I'll even take scaring little wannabe gangsters over nothing."

"Did you find out anything useful?"

Anko nodded, her smile fading a little as she focused on the business at hand. "According to Nishi-kun, the Lances are all over the Land of Hot Water, though he's never met with anyone from other branches. They're currently competing with a few other gangs for territory all over the nation."

"He tell you anything about their operation?"

"Not a lot. He did say that he had overheard two higher ups talking about visiting a doctor and a banker, but other than that he didn't know anything useful."

"That hardly constitutes as useful itself," Naruto grumbled. He paused, thinking over what they had learned as Taisa exited his room as well. "What did he know about the guy who stabbed that Nakasone girl?"

"Said that the man's name was Yamaji. He was the one who convinced the leader of their group to go after those girls in the first place, and from the sounds of it, was always egging them on to commit bigger crimes. Apparently, he's one of the few members of the gang who has any shinobi experience."

"Why would a person with shinobi training join a civilian gang and be forced to work with the other grunts?" Taisa asked.

"What if he wasn't?" Naruto mumbled more to himself than the others.

"What do you mean, Naruto-kun?" Anko asked.

"I have a hunch about something," he replied. "Hebi-hana, do you think you and Ero-Sennin could go back to that alley and see try to find the kunai that Yamaji guy used. Your snakes might be able to find a scent or something to follow, while Ero-Sennin is the next best sensor after Dad. Kessho-hime and I will head back to the shinobi base to keep looking through files. My shadow clones should be done soon, so we'll have more information to work with too."

"What about us?" Taisa asked. "This may be your mission, but if people are getting hurt, Ryuka, Yomito, and I want to help."

Naruto smiled at him gratefully. "I'll send some clones of mine with you three to patrol the village, in particular around the port. If you happen upon someone committing a crime, only intervene to keep people from being hurt, otherwise, just keep doing recon and follow the criminal. Make sure to keep on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary, my clones will be able to notify me of anything you find, and the rest of us will keep our voice seals activated to keep in contact."

Taisa and Anko both nodded, and once everyone else was up, and had gotten ready for the day, they all split up.

Naruto walked casually next to Guren, smiling pleasantly to the people they passed on their way to the shinobi station. The pleasant atmosphere faded once they entered the building, and light tapping of his staff on the wooden floors were suddenly deafening as they echoed through the somber offices. Guren raised an eyebrow curiously as she inspected her surroundings, while Naruto kept the pleasant smile on his face. They entered Sugita's office, and quietly closed the door while Sugita turned in his seat to face them.

"Good morning, Sugita-san," Naruto greeted, once again channeling chakra to his throat. "We've come to continue our investigation."

"It occurs to me that you never introduced yourself to me, boy," Sugita said quietly, his dark brown eyes fixed on the saucer of sake in his hand. "Yesterday you let your lady friends do all the talking up until our little chat before you left."

"Is that so?" Naruto asked. "If that's the case, then I sincerely apologise for my rudeness Sugita-san."

Sugita grunted and raised his saucer to take a drink. "So what is it?"

"What is what?"

"Your name, boy. What is it?"

"Naruto."

"Today is not a day to test me, kid. I want to know your full name, and while you're at it, I want to know why a day after you show up in my village, I receive word from Imada-sama that one of my shinobi was found dead in the streets of Yuga."

"Sugita-san, you're mistaking correlation for causation," Naruto replied calmly. "Unless there's something you aren't sharing with us, the only person I have fought and killed since arriving in your country was a gangster last night who happened to have shinobi training."

"This gangster you took down," Sugita asked. "Did you happen to catch his name?"

Naruto nodded. "He was a man by the name of Yamaji. He and his buddies were trying to force a good time out of two girls in an alley near the docks when he stabbed one of them with a kunai. We also found another shogi tyle on his body. According to the boy we interrogated, they were all part of a gang known as the Lances."

"How would those small-timers be involved?" Sugita wondered.

"According to our informant, they aren't as small as you think. He claims that they have members all over the country."

"We've arrested a few of their members, and while some of them claim that's true, we think it's just propaganda being spread by whoever's running them."

"Interesting, do you think we could look at those reports as well?"

*(OoO)*

Anko followed her snake through the back alleys along the dock. She and Jiraiya had tried to retrieve the kunai from last night, but when they arrived to the scene of the crime, the weapon was nowhere to be found. They quickly updated Naruto and Guren before she summoned her best tracking snake. While not quite as skilled as an Inuzuka or their nin-dogs, her snake had quickly picked up a scent heading east along the coast. Following it, they eventually found themselves in the outskirts of the village, on a cliff overlooking the ocean when the trail suddenly turned sharply heading south.

"They must have disposed of the kunai in the ocean," Jiraiya surmised.

"Then hopefully this trail will lead us back to their hideout," Anko replied following her snake.

They followed the serpent, listening quietly through their seals as Naruto subtly interrogated Sugita before moving on to reading through several mission and arrest reports.

"He's really growing up to be quite the schemer," Jiraiya noted, deactivating his own seal for the moment.

"I know what you mean," Anko agreed. "There are times where he's so open that you can pretty much tell exactly what he's thinking by the look on his face, but other times, it's like some sort of curtain is pulled over his thoughts. He still looks like the open cheerful person he is, but once you've seen him properly open up, there are these little instincts that tell you everything he's doing is just an act."

"I'll have to take your word for it," Jiraiya replied, a hint of bitterness tainting his tone. "Naruto has never been quite as open with me as he has with Tsunade or you girls."

"Give it time," Anko advised. "You know how hard it is for him to trust, and that's made even harder when he thinks he has to look out for more than just himself. One day, he'll feel comfortable enough to fully drop his guard around you."

Jiraiya hummed in response. Focusing on the trail they were following while they simply listened to Naruto ask seemingly innocuous questions about the files he was reading.

*(OoO)*

"So what's Yume like?"

Ryuka turned away from the street she was keeping watch over to face the clone sitting behind her with a raised eyebrow. "Why do you want to know?"

"Well, if we're going to be working together, and if your dad decides to team up with us, then I'd like to know about where you guys are from."

"I guess that's fair," Ryuka conceded. "Well, I guess the first thing you should know is that the village, before it was destroyed, was within the Forest of Mythic Beasts. Most of the Amagiri clan could be found there, and it's home to the large insects they use in combat."

"What do you mean by that? Doesn't Taisa's clan live in the village as well?"

Ryuka shook her head. "No. A long time ago, the Amagiri were exiled from the village. They still could become shinobi, but most of them aren't fans of interacting with my clan and prefer to guard the forest."

"Why were they exiled?" Naruto asked.

"The Amagiri were the ones who founded the village," Ryuka explained. "They were the ones in control until my clan sealed a creature known as the Three-Headed Beast. As a result control of the village shifted to the Tenro clan, and when the Amagiri tried to take it back, they were exiled."

"And the Three-Heads is why Konoha decided to make a pact with you," Naruto concluded.

"Yup. Even if my dad decides to leave Yume for Uzu, I doubt you're going to have nearly as easy a time convincing the Amagiri to join the rest of us."

"That's fine," Naruto replied. "The invitation is still open if they change their minds, but there isn't any room in Uzu for those kinds of long standing feuds."

Ryuka contemplated his response when their attention was drawn to a commotion from the streets below. Hurrying to get a better view, they watched as people walked outside arguing amongst each other as they started to fill the streets.

"What's going on?" Taisa asked as he and Yomito joined them on the roof top.

"I don't know, they all just started to argue with each other out of nowhere," Ryuka replied.

Naruto closed his eyes and contacted Kurama. _Can you feel anything?_

 _It's hard to explain,_ Kurama replied, _but it feels like all of their negative emotions aren't coming from them. There are five chakra signatures along the docks that feel like they're the sources of all the negative intentions._

Opening his eyes, Naruto inspected the crowd as it started to frenzy. He watched as a young woman grab a rock and hurl it at the head of a nearby store owner while nearby, an older man threw a brick through the window of another shop before going in and looting it.

"We need to stop these people before they hurt themselves," Naruto ordered. "I can sense several chakra signatures nearby influencing their behaviour."

"Leave it to me," Taisa said as he flowed through several hand seals before taking a deep breath. He then ejected a cloud of pale yellow mist out of his mouth that grew and spread until it covered the street. The crowd members immediately started coughing before, one by one, they fell to the ground, unconscious.

Meanwhile, the three Naruto clones as well as Yomito and Ryuka went after the five chakra signatures nearby. The five men attempted to flee, but didn't get far as three of them were suddenly encased in crystal, while another was knocked out by a flurry of kicks to the back and the last was struck by one of Yomito's chakra slicers, collapsing to the ground as his chakra was temporarily sealed before also being surrounded by crystal.

"Yomito, use those slicers of yours on the others, quick!" The nearest Naruto called.

Yomito felt the urge to snap at him, but fought it down as he did as told. The moment the last of the enemies' chakra was sealed, he immediately felt himself calm down and frowned in confusion.

"That's strange," he noted quietly.

"That's an understatement," one of the Naruto's replied before dispelling himself.

*(OoO)*

Sugita had just left when Naruto received the memories of his clone. His eyes widened and he shot to his feet as his mind started working furiously.

"What is it?" Guren asked.

"One of my clones on patrol just dispelled itself," Naruto reported. "Apparently, a riot nearly broke out near the docks."

 _"What, why would that happen?"_ Anko's tone was incredulous.

"Taisa knocked the civilians out to calm them down, but my clone sensed that there were several chakra signatures influencing their behaviour. All of them had Shogi pieces in their pockets."

At that moment, Sugita stormed back into the interrogation room they were working in, his face contorted in rage. "Mind telling me why I just received a report of a cloud of yellow gas knocking out a street full of civilians, along with multiple reports of property damage?"

"My friends were patrolling the streets when they came across five members of the Lances using some sort of technique to stir the villagers into a frenzy. The gas was to ensure no one got hurt."

 _"Naruto, ask him if he has any experience with shinobi capable of using a passive technique to aid in interrogation,"_ Jiraiya ordered.

Naruto relayed the question and watched Sugita closely as he replied. "I don't know anything about any sort of genjutsu that could influence someone to assist the gathering of information," the man said, staring down at Naruto. "Now, I think you and your friends have overstayed your welcome in my village. If you have any further questions take them up with Imada-sama, or better yet, talk to the Daimiyo. I hear he loves entertaining guests."

Naruto stared back for several moments before smiling with a nod. "Thank you for your assistance, Sugita-san, and my condolences about your lost comrade. If that is what you wish, my friends and I will leave Mutsunai straight away."

Guren followed Naruto quietly as they dropped what they were doing and headed back to the hotel to meet with the others. "What was that all about?" She asked once they were all gathered in the room where they had left the two young women the night before. "Why are we leaving?"

"Yeah, shouldn't a riot almost breaking out in the streets be enough to tell us that we're on to something here?" Ryuka added.

"It is," Jiraiya replied. "We've learned that there are members of the Lances who have shinobi training and that they're capable of performing a technique that can subtly influence the behaviour of the people around them."

"Which could be the explanation for the random increase in crime," Anko concluded. "That Nishi kid did say that it was a guy name Yamaji, who had shinobi training, who influenced them to target those two girls. If certain members of this gang can influence behaviour, than they just need to be nearby to cause ordinary citizens to suddenly turn into violent criminals."

"But that doesn't explain why crime has gone up all around the country," Taisa countered.

"Or why that Wasabi girl was so afraid of taking her friend to see a doctor," Yomito added.

"Or why the crimes have only just now started to take a turn towards the more violent side of things," Ryuka finished. "The reports Imada gave Jiraiya-sama said that the worst crimes they had seen were arson, armed robbery, and breaking and entering. But in the couple days we've been here, we stopped an attempted murder and rape, as well as seen a riot randomly break out in the streets."

"I think you might have just answered your own question," Naruto replied before activating his voice seal. "Kiba, how are things going?"

 _"Could be better,"_ Kiba replied, slightly out of breath. _"We ran into some gangsters who were trying to rob a store and got into a pretty nasty fight. A few of them had shinobi training, and the more we fought them the easier it was for them to take advantage of our frustration. We wanted to hunt them down, but the jounin commander in charge of this village kicked us out because of the property damage caused in the fight."_

"Did any of the gangsters have shogi pieces on them?" Naruto asked.

 _"Yeah, we managed to kill one guy who had a king tile as well as a bishop in his pocket. We're headed back to Yuga to report to Imada, and probably get fired."_

"You could do that, or you could meet up with us at the capitol," Naruto suggested. "We're following a lead there and your noses might be helpful in wrapping this up."

 _"Sure thing, I'll let Mom know and we'll meet you there."_

"Let's pack up," Naruto said. "I'll try to explain everything on the way.

*(OoO)*

Within an hour they were all packed up and sprinting between bamboo stalks on their way to the capitol.

"I think that someone is teaching the shinobi members of these gangs some sort of technique in order to increase the crime rate in the Land of Hot Water," Naruto began. "I also think that these gangs are all being controlled by one person in the background, pulling the strings as they use them for a cover to influence the behaviour of the average civilian."

"That would explain why there are two different gangs on opposite sides of the country named after shogi pieces," Guren said.

"And why many of the shinobi were carrying shogi tiles with them," Anko added. "If they're secretly working for someone other than the individual heads of the different gangs, then the tiles could be acting as some sort of way to identify themselves."

"But why?" Taisa asked. "Who would go through the trouble of infiltrating multiple gangs and influencing them from the inside just to spread chaos?"

"I don't know," Naruto admitted. "But it's clear something is going on in the background, and I think we'll learn more within the capitol."

Ryuka frowned, confused. "Why? What could be there for us to find?"

"The capitol of the Land of Hot Water is the single largest tourist attraction in the country, and one of the biggest in the world," Jiraiya explained. "People of all sorts pass through there to enjoy the accomodations, making it perfect not just for the risqué sightseeing, but also as a sort of hub for information gatherers. The Daimiyo himself, while considered by most to be a harmless, peace-loving man, is also known in some circles as one of the largest information brokers in the Elemental Nations. It's said that he has something on everybody, and if he so chose, could blackmail several different countries into ruin. One of the biggest questions in the underground is how someone who is pretty much a glorified resort owner has managed to accumulate so much information reliably without anyone knowing."

"And I think we might have found the answer to that question," Naruto said.

"Of course!" Anko exclaimed. "If there's a technique that can influence people's behaviour towards committing crimes, then it stands to reason that the same technique could be used to influence them in other ways too."

"Including getting them to spill all their secrets," Guren added.

"Which means that if anyone can give us some more information on what's going, it's the Daimiyo," Jiraiya concluded.

They ran for the next three days, pausing only at night to set up camp while Naruto practiced controlling natural energy and manipulating the water found in the extremely humid air. When they finally arrived at the capitol soon after noon on the third day, Taisa, Ryuka, and Yomito were all panting heavily from the breakneck pace, Naruto was interested in the differences between the city before him and the capitol of the Land of Fire.

Where the Land of Fire's capitol looked as expected of the home of a nations sovereign and branches of government, with its towering walls and contingent of samurai guards all around the city. The capitol of the Land of Hot Water looked more like a resort than anything else. The city maintained a feudal aesthetic, with its wooden buildings and sloped roofs, while steam surrounded it from the multitude of hot springs in and around the truly massive castle dominating the majority of the real estate. The castle in the Land of Fire may have clearly shown off the luxury the royal family lived in, but it was nothing but an inn between villages compared to the sprawling collection of wooden towers connected by bridges rising high into the air.

They approached the gate to the city leisurely, and Naruto kept his eyes peeled as various people, both Yuga shinobi and not, watched them make their way down the street.

"We sure are popular today," Ryuka noted as more and more eyes watched turned to stare at them.

"I can't quite put my finger on it," Anko quipped. "But I get the feeling someone's expecting us."

She was proven right when a stern-faced shinobi dropped down in front of them from a nearby rooftop.

"Jiraiya of the Sannin, you and your subordinates have been summoned to join your fellow Konoha shinobi in front of the Daimiyo. If you would please follow me, and try not to cause anymore undue panic on the way, I will escort you to him."

Jiraiya nodded, not reacting to the not-so-subtle jab even as he and the others filed it away in the back of their minds. The walk to the castle was silent and stiff, with the amount of stares increasing along with the awkward atmosphere once they had crossed the threshold of the castle grounds. Naruto kept his eye on the onlookers they walked by, subtly shifting his robes to better conceal his hidden weapons and anything that would indicate Eclipse was more than just an ordinary sword for self-defense (though he felt a strange sensation flow through him from the blade at the thought of it being anything short of extraordinary that Naruto could have sworn felt almost like indignation), as well as shifting his weight a bit more heavily onto his staff. They walked by countless spas and hot springs, and Naruto didn't think he would ever have expected to see so many foreign dignitaries, high-level businessmen, criminals, and missing-nin in one place –let alone without there being a single trace of violence. In fact, with Kurama's help they expanded their senses around the castle grounds, and not one of the areas where guests were permitted had even a hint of the slightest negative emotion or intention. It was almost like there was an aura of forced peace and serenity draped across the grounds.

Tilting his down to let his bangs cover his eyes, Naruto activated his Kunshugan and was shocked to discover that suspicions were not unfounded. Strange chakra swirled through the air, and he could see that it was already beginning to leaking into his friends' chakra systems. He watched as everyone but Jiraiya dropped their guards completely, while even the legendary shinobi released the tension in his shoulders, a dopey smile on his face as his head swivelled back and forth watching many of the fairer bathers strolling around the grounds.

 _This isn't good,_ he thought. _If even Ero-Sennin is being affected by this weird technique, than I'm pretty sure I'm on my own for now._

 _You'll be fine, Kit,_ Kurama assured him. _You aren't completely alone, and if anyone's suited for dealing with this kind of guy, it's you._

 _Thanks for the vote of confidence,_ Naruto replied as they were led inside and up several flights of stairs before coming to a halt outside an elegant shoji door covered in swirling patterns reminiscent to steam rising and curling through the air. Already waiting there were Tsume, Kiba, Sakura, and Kanagi, all of whom had clearly fallen prey to the veil of complacency hanging over the castle.

"The Daimiyo will see you now," their escort announced, opening the door and ushering them all inside. Inisde they were met by an older man with dark eyes and a grey mustache over his stern frown. He wore a long-sleeved robe under a yellow, sleeveless jackett with red trimmings. His headdress bore the symbol of Yuga on its front, and Naruto could see the intelligence in his eyes as he looked them all up and down, one after the other while clamly holding his fan with both hands in his lap.

"So, you are the shinobi Konoha has sent to spread fear and panic among my people and drive away their source of income," the Daimiyo observed with narrowed eyes. The atmosphere in the room changed, and Naruto fought the urge to narrow his own eyes.

 _There are eight of them,_ Kurama informed him. _Four directly above him changing the atmosphere to make your friends feel slightly afraid and off guard, as well as another four clinging to the upper corners of the room maintaining the original complacency field._

 _Can we take them?_ Naruto asked, watching curiously as Kanagi stepped forward cockily.

 _Not without losing a few hostages when you're chased out of the building without the answers you're looking for. Just keep your cool and think things through. I'll use some of my own chakra to connect with your mom and the others, as well as tell that old war hawk to relay everything to the Princess and the Shogun._

Naruto acknowledged Kurama's words, feeling the familiar tingle of his surrogate father channelling his chakra through Naruto's body and sighing internally when none of the shinobi present seemed to notice.

"With all due respect, Your Highness," Kanagi said snootily. "But only those of us actually bearing our leaf headbands are still proud Konoha shinobi. The rest of them are a nothing more than a group of exiles and strays. Hardly worth your time or the damage they have done to your country."

"Is that so?" The Daimiyo asked, turning his gaze on Naruto and his friends.

"Yes Your Majesty," Naruto said, stepping forward and bowing respectfully while Jiraiya and the others watched him with expressions varying from interest to confusion to fear, all muted by the lazy shroud pulled over their eyes. "When viewed from the outside perspective of the gossiping commoner, what he says is true."

The Daimiyo raised an eyebrow, while Kanagi and the others from Konoha watched him with shock as he took another step forward and knealt in front of the Daimiyo's throne.

"And with what perspective would you say you view your circumstances, Shinobi-san?"

Naruto grinned foxily as he raised his head, exaggerating the huskiness in his voice as their positions allowed the Daimiyo a clear look down his scarf at the scar on his throat. "With that of an exile and a stray, Your Majesty."

The Daimiyo smirked at his wit, even as Naruto felt the shinobi in the room tense in preparation of executing him should he prove to be any sort of threat. "What is your name, boy?"

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, Daimiyo-sama. Last son of the Uzumaki, Namikaze, and Senju clans, son of Tsunade Senju, current Head of the Senju Clan and Hokage of the newly established Village Hidden by Whirling Tides. Orchestrator of the renewed pact between the shinobi of my village and the Land of Fire, and Head of the Elemental Coalition of Nations."

 _"Elemental Coalition of Nations?"_ Tayuya's incredulous tone rang over his seal and he could hear snickers from others.

 _"Fujika-sama and Yazawa-sama say they both approve of and support the name and Uzumaki-san's position as head of this_ Coalition _,"_ Danzo informed them, silencing the muffled laughter as the weight of Naruto's declaration settled on them all, himself included.

"That's quite the resume for one as young as yourself, Uzumaki-san," The Daimiyo said slowly. "Though, I have heard of the coup in Konoha and the rumors of Tsunade of the Sannin declaring she would start a new village, I have not heard of this Elemental Coalition before."

"Rather than go over all of the details –many of which can not be divulged in front of shinobi from other villages –if you would permit the use of my chakra to create a simple seal, I could bring the Princess of the Land of Fire as well as the Shogun here to corroborate my claims," Naruto replied, ignoring the disbelief on the faces of the shinobi from Yume and Konoha.

"And how can I be sure that you will use this seal for what you claim?" The Daimiyo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Would it ease Your Majesty's mind if I provided leverage to insure my complicity?" Naruto countered. The Daimiyo thought about this for a moment before nodding slowly. Naruto smiled and untied Eclipse from his belt, handing it in its sheath to the Daimiyo himself before backing away. "This sword is one of the worldly possessions I value the most in my life. If I do not stay true to my word, I will gladly accept you drawing it and ending my life by your own hand. Additionally, I will allow your shinobi to take my comrades hostage, with the acception of the shinobi from Konoha and Yume as I don't have the authority to leverage their lives."

The Daimiyo took Eclipse in his hand and nodded to a shadow above him. Three blurs dropped from the ceiling, and Jiraiya, Anko, and Guren soon found themselves standing still with a kunai pointed at each of their jugulars. Normally, any one of them would have still been able to easily escape their current position, but for some reason, they all felt like their limbs were made of lead while their minds moved sluggishly to try and process their situation.

Taking his cue, Naruto unsealed his brush and ink and drew another two-way summoning seal on the floor. Once Danzo notified him that Yazawa had done the same, Naruto pulsed his chakra, focusing on the feel of it as it bent spacetime to connect with the sister seal in the Land of Fire. He noticed that rather than moving extremely quickly, the chakra seemed to flicker out of existence when it went through the seal before returning at the other. Curious, he quickly activated his Kunshugan and froze time the moment his chakra started to disappear again, using Yazawa's substantial chakra signature as a sort of booster signal to track what was happening.

Near as he could tell, his chakra was actually leaving this dimension and entering another not dissimilar to the pocket dimensions used in storage seals. Once in the other dimension, the seal in front of him sent a tiny amount through to direct the chakra transporting Yazawa and Fujika to it and instantaneously bring them back into his dimension in his location. Shoving his contemplations aside for a later date, he watched, satisfied, as his two friends appeared in the throne room with a burst of smoke.

"Naruto-san, how good to see you again," Fujika said cheerily as the air cleared. "We were just relaxing after helping a small village with a certain bandit problem when Danzo-san told me of your meeting."

"I believe we have been called here to speak about our alliance with you and your clan, correct?" Yazawa asked cheerily.

"I think Uzumaki-san has more than proved his point, Fujika-hime, Yazawa-dono," the Daimiyo said gruffly. "If you would like, you are more than welcome to stay here, or return to your country and your duties. Keeping the Land of Fire from falling apart after such a catastrophic event cannot be easy."

"I'm afraid you're right, Daimiyo-sama," Fujika replied with a bow. "But thanks to Naruto-san and the shinobi of Uzu he and his mother sent to help our samurai, it has made our efforts to help keep our people safe that much easier."

Without another word, she and Yazawa disappeared, and Naruto fought to conceal a smirk at the impressed look on the Daimiyo's face.

"You clearly have a flair for the dramtic, Uzumaki-san," the Daimiyo said while the shinobi from Konoha looked absolutely flabbergasted.

"I think you'll find that my flair for the dramatic doesn't just end with name-dropping, Daimiyo-sama," Naruto replied. Quicker than anyone could react, Naruto closed his eyes and activated his Kunshugan. With time frozen, he focused on his chakra and extended it in a sort of field through the air. Jiraiya, Anko, and Guren's eyes regained their alertness before they quickly disarmed and escaped knocked out the shinobi holding them hostage. The other shinobi in the room quickly dropped down, weapons at the ready.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Daimiyo asked while everyone else watched fearfully.

"If you and I are gonna talk as equals, I'm not going to let you hold people I hold precious hostage, Daimiyo-sama, even passively," Naruto said seriously. "I have left the shinobi from the other villages under this trance you subject your guests to, but you should know that I am claiming responsibility for them. To threaten them is to threaten me."

Silence rang through the air for several seconds as the Daimiyo and Naruto stared each other down while everyone watched. Finally, the Daimiyo raised his hand, dismissing his shinobi.

"Fine, we'll dispense with the formality and get back to the root of the matter," he said. "I called you to quietly investigate the goings on in my nation without drawing the attention of the public, and days after your arrival, you are in the center of the most violent, high-profile crimes yet. I want to know why I shouldn't have you thrown out of my country yet."

"Your Majesty, our investigation began as requested," Jiraiya explained. "After receiving a our files from Imada-sama, Inuzuka Tsume and I decided to split up after noticing that the most recent reports were coming from two villages on opposite ends of the Land of Hot Water. We arrived in Mutsunai without incident, but after looking through the crime reports provided by Jonin Sugita, Chunin Uzumaki heard someone crying for help and intervened before a group of men could successfully rape a pair of young women. We found out that the instigator of the crime was a local gangster who had shinobi training at some point and was capable of using some sort of technique that could manipulate the behaviour of those around him, making them more impulsive and violent."

"I want everyone but you four out of here, now," the Daimiyo ordered, prompting the shinobi in the room to escort Tusme, Kiba, Sakura, Kanagi, Taisa, Yomito, and Ryuka out, ignoring Kanagi's protests at being pushed around before slamming the door shut in his face. "Now, you are going to tell me what you know, and you would do well not to leave out any details."

Naruto scowled at the man's threatening tone and stepped forward, cutting Jiraiya off. "You'll have to be more specific _Daimiyo-sama_. Do you intend for us to tell you every detail of our adventures from when we entered this nation to now?"

"Jiraiya-san, maybe you could remind Uzumaki-san to whom he is addressing," the Daimiyo growled, glaring at Naruto who stared back unflinchingly while Anko and Guren looked between the two worriedly. "His precociousness and boyish charm skirt dangerously close to impudence and disrespect."

Naruto felt a growl of his own vibrating deep in his chest until the soothing sound of his mother's voice rang through the seal on the back of his neck.

 _"Naru-kun, calm down. Don't let him get under your skin."_

 _He's been holding us hostage since the moment we walked in here!_ Naruto thought in response, Kurama's chakra transmitting the message for him.

 _"I know," Tsunade replied softly. "If you're right about how he maintains peace in his country and gathers information, then he's a dangerous opponent on the best of days. Take your time and analyze the situation, you've already got Jiraiya, Anko, and Guren out of his little trick, don't lose what progress you've made."_

 _How am I supposed to out think this guy if he's still holding seven people hostage just outside?!_ Naruto exclaimed mentally. _And that's not even counting the amount of important people who are already staying here. He has all the cards._

 _"I must say, I'm unimpressed,"_ Danzo's voice grumbled over the connection. _"What happened to the boy who confidently walked into my own secret base and declared that I and my ROOT agents now worked for him? What happened to the boy that walked into the capital of the Land of Fire and negotiated an alliance with the two ruling powers? If circumstances as mediocre as this are enough to rattle you this badly, then perhaps this whole Coalition is nothing more than a farce. Perhaps those who have given up their homes, their lives, and their safety, have made those sacrifices in vain. Perhaps you truly aren't capable of keeping your so-called precious people safe after all."_

Naruto froze as he listened to Danzo chastise him, before feeling a renewed surge of determination through his bones. Sending a mental thanks to his parents and Danzo, he closed his eyes and froze time to allow himself to calm down and properly plan out how to outmaneuver one of the largest information brokers in the Elemental Nations.

Opening his eyes as he unfroze time, Naruto maintained his angry scowl. Only two pairs of eyes caught the lack of sincere rage behind his eyes as he once again cut Jiraiya off. "If not putting up with the bullshit of some self-important blowhard is impudence, then you're damn right I skirt that line."

"Naruto! Shut up!" Jiraiya whispered angrily between clenched teeth while the Daimiyo's face contorted in a mask of indignant rage.

"Need I remind you boy that I have seven of your friends waiting outside surrounded by my own personal shinobi force, ready and waiting for me to give them the order to make them disappear?"

Naruto smirked internally as his scowl softened slightly before he turned on the spot and started walking towards the exit. "In that case, it has been an honour to make your acquaintance, Daimiyo-sama, and I'm truly sorry we couldn't do more to help with this crime problem of yours. Be sure to send the bodies of the Konoha shinobi back to their village, it might help in gaining some lenience when they march on your country."

"What are you talking about?" The Daimiyo demanded. "You can't leave! What about these gangsters influencing the behaviour of the people?"

Jiraiya caught on to what Naruto was doing and forced down a gleeful smirk as he played along. "I'm afraid, Naruto is right, we're going to have deem this mission a failure. Our investigation has not come up with any leads, and as the highest ranking shinobi assigned here, I'm calling for us to leave before we inadvertently start an international incident. Anko, Guren, come on. We can grab the other three on the way out."

Anko and Guren rose to join him when the Daimiyo called out to them. "Wait! What if I can provide you with potentially useful information pertaining to the investigation? Would you stay then?"

Naruto smirked then schooled his features as he turned his head to address the Daimiyo. "While that might be helpful, Jiraiya-sama is right. The risks of being caught in a position that turns Konoha's attention onto us isn't worth the reward we are being paid."

"Please!" The Daimiyo cried rising to his feet. "My people are the most important thing in my life. I don't want to see their livelihoods ruined, let alone see them in danger. Name your price, I will add it to what the current pay for this mission already is!"

"Is that so?" Naruto asked slowly, turning back to face the man standing behind him. The Daimiyo nodded enthusiastically and Naruto finally allowed himself a smirk. _Hook, line, and sinker._ "In that case, I'm sure we would be able to find a way to justify the risk of this mission to the Hokage, in exchange for you and your information network merging with my own."

"W-what are you talking about?"

"It's quite simple. All information that goes through you is sent to Uzu, free of charge, along with information on who else you sell it too. Nothing potentially harmful to Uzu or members of my Coalition is revealed without express permission from myself, and that information is sold at a higher price with the place it entails receiving a portion of the profit that can be negotiated at a later date. In exchange, we continue this invstegation."

The Daimiyo looked gobsmacked. In a matter of minutes, Naruto had called his bluff and completely reversed the situation on him, backing him into a corner. He had thought the boy would be an easy target for manipulating one of the Sannin to fall under his thumb, now his hubris had turned him into the one pledging servitude in exchange for the safety of his people. He wanted to be angry, being outsmarted by a child was more than a little damaging to his ego, but he couldn't help but respect how masterfully Naruto gained control of his emotions and used them to his advantage.

"Fine," he agreed, lowering his head. "In the name of the Land of Hot Water, I pledge any and all assets pertaining to information and espionage to the Elemental Coalition of Nations."

Naruto smiled and lowered his hand, helping the man rise back up to his feet. "It's an honour to count you and your country as an ally and potential friend. Now, I believe you have some information for me?"

 **A/N: So this took me a few days and I'm all kinds of unhappy with it, but the entire point of writing this story was to use different arcs of the story to try out some different genres of writing. So, while this isn't the best of mysteries, I am finding it fun to try and write. There's probably only one chapter left for this arc anyways, so once this is wrapped up, I can try out something different for the next arc. Hint: It'll be wet. Anyways, thanks for reading and telling me what you think, and I'll see you all next time!**


	25. Chapter 25

Naruto frowned as he felt a pair of eyes watching him while he trained. They had elected to hole up in a smaller hotel near the edge of the capital after their turbulent, yet surprisingly productive visit to the Daimiyo of the Land of Hot Water. Tonight, Naruto had found himself a nice little clearing in the surrounding bamboo forests to practice his lightning style. Currently, it and fire were the two most difficult primary elements to use, if only because he hesitated to really let loose with them for fear of collateral damage. He had heard enough about the many grievances common folk had with shinobi to know that he was a lot less likely to endear himself to the people he hoped to help protect if he obliterated their homes and livelihoods in the process.

At the moment, he was trying to work on his control over lightning. His current abilities mostly relied on him using his chakra to create a charge in his hands and using that to supplement his close combat techniques. If he wanted to use lightning chakra at a distance, he had to dramatically increase the charge in his hands and basically hope that he directed it properly. Granted, ever since Ryuzuka started stopping by every once in a while to assist him with his water manipulation, he had found that his understanding of the other elements had started improving. Figuring the fundamental similarities and difference between the different kinds of natural energy that flowed through the different elements had dramatically improved his abilities with them, but he knew this wouldn't be something he figured out on his own anytime soon.

Practicing with creating progressively stronger arcs of electricity between his two hands, Naruto smirked as his voyeur moved to switch positions and focused on guiding the lightning in his hands towards the bush they were hiding behind and chuckled when a brown-haired blur launched out of the hiding place with a yelp before crashing to the ground with a groan.

"What's the big idea?!" Kanagi shouted as he rose to his feet, rubbing his backside while his muscled twitched slightly from the excess energy.

Naruto smirked and shrugged his shoulders before growing serious as he crossed his arms glared down at the boy (a small vindictive part of him cheering that he was taller than Kanagi now). "Why are you spying on me?"

Kanagi scoffed. "Please, why would I spy on a low-life like you? I was just out here looking for Sakura. With that red-eyed prick gone, I'm in the market for a rebound. I know she talked to you last time we were here, so I figured you'd know where she is."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. He didn't like the predatory gleam in Kanagi's eyes, and instead elected to reach over and grab his staff from where it was casually standing perfectly straight next to him. Comforted by the increasingly familiar feeling of his staff interacting with his chakra, he pushed aside the prickling along his stump, glaring quietly at the boy.

It didn't take Kanagi long to wilt under the strength of Naruto's gaze, and he was forced to look away while upping his boisterous façade. "Fine, don't tell me. Though, I may have to remember to mention to the _real_ Hokage-sama that she was seen conversing privately with a known criminal and missing-nin. I can only imagine what Hiashi-sama would do if he thought that she was withholding pertinent information on Konoha's enemies, especially after that whole Sasuke business putting her and her mom on shaky ground as it is."

"She's your teammate," Naruto growled angrily. "Why would you do that to her?"

Kanagi shrugged. "She's my teammate at the moment. It's only a matter before she gets killed or retires her commission. After that, she'll be useless anyways."

"What do you mean useless?"

This time, it was Kanagi's turn to smirk. "Sorry, that's classified information pertaining to Konoha and its shinobi forces."

Naruto rolled his eyes and turned to walk back to the hotel. He had dealt with Kanagi and these little exchanges for the better part of the last two weeks while they worked directly with Imada, who had come from Yuga on the Daimiyo's orders, to surveil the streets of the capital. Pretty much every day, Kanagi confronted him at some point to try and see if he could rattle Naruto enough to get a reaction, and every day he wore on Naruto's patience. Naruto had yet to figure out what Kanagi gained from constantly antagonizing him, but he had yet to fall for Kanagi's not-so-subtle attempts at manipulation.

 _Yet another thing to add to the long list of things to figure out later, I guess,_ Naruto thought to himself as he strolled back into the village. He kept his senses honed, partly in case there was any trouble, but also because he didn't totally trust that Kanagi wouldn't take the opportunity to try and take a free shot at his back. His hopes for a peaceful walk back to the hotel were dashed as he breached the forest and saw several people dressed in black dashing between buildings. He could sense Kanagi several yards behind him as he leapt into the air and followed the shady individuals from the rooftops. So far, he counted seven people, five men and two women, dashing through the shadows of the closely packed buildings that occupied the capital's business district. He followed them as they headed towards the slums, and watched as they split up, each of them carrying a bag full of something that they were handing out to whoever they could find.

He narrowed his eyes as one of the women pressed whatever she was handing out into the hands of a seemingly unwilling young boy. He heard the crinkling of plastic as she curled his fingers around the package and reassured him that it was a special medicine that would make him forget all about how hungry he was. Rage threatened to consume him as he put two and two together and looked around the street, confirming his theory as many of the homeless people on the street opened the little bag of drugs these people handed out to them. His enhanced eyesight allowed him to see a small symbol on the bag that held the strange paste. He focused his sight as the emaciated boy opened the bag, making sure to take deep breaths to keep from doing anything stupid.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing peddling that poison to these people?"

Naruto groaned quietly and dropped his head. Freezing time, he extended his senses for the nearest bearer of one of his voice seals, and noted that Kiba was only a few blocks away. Activating his voice seal as he created a contingent of shadow clones, Naruto got the feeling that whatever they had been looking for unsuccessfully, was about to find them.

"Kiba, I need you to hurry to my location and help me keep Kanagi from getting killed in a mob."

 _"Aww, do I have to?"_ Kiba whined.

"Yes," Naruto replied. He watched as Kanagi tried to engage the seven dealers, but their superior numbers allowed them to overwhelm him easily while a mob of angry, doped up citizens started descending on him.

Kiba arrived minutes later and tore through the crowd alongside Akamaru with a Gatsuga. He heard Kiba exchange barbs with Kanagi as they fought and frowned as the mob descended on them. His frown deepened as neither Kiba nor Kanagi took many procautions concerning the group of inebriated civilians at risk of being caught in the cross fire.

"Kiba, what are you doing? Get out of here before you and Kanagi hurt someone," Naruto ordered as he jumped down behind them.

Kiba didn't answer except to growl as he spun through the air, tearing up the groung along the way, and further angering the mob. Naruto's frown flickered into one of confusion, followed momentarily by realisation. Activating his Kunshugan, he noticed a similar aura to the one covering the Daimiyo's castle, only this one was more violent and angry as it seeped into the chakra pathways of anyone nearby.

Acting fast as he saw Kanagi prepare a fire technique that would doubtlessly incinerate everyone before him, Naruto completely released every restriction on his body and dashed between the now terrified crowd and the massive fireball flowing down the street. Planting his feet, Naruto ducked into his fire style and faced the fireball head on. His left hand burned slightly as he fought Kanagi's chakra for control of the element, but ultimately he won, splitting the flames and twisting them around him before extinguishing them with a deep breath. As soon as the first person recovered their sense from the amazing sight of Naruto effortlessly stopping an attack of that size, the fighting was about to begin anew before Naruto flexed his chakra as far as he could while discretely creating clones to gather up the abandoned drugs that the mob had left to gang up on Kanagi and Kiba. The pulse of chakra went throught the entire street as well as a few blocks in every other direction, calming the masses while Naruto apologized for his associates' foolish actions. Without another word, he grabbed Kanagi and Kiba roughly by the shoulder and shunshinned them back to the hotel, startling Jiraiya and Tsume as they appeared before them in the hall outside their rooms.

"Does one of you want explain why we just saw a massive fireball technique light up a street on the other side of the city?" Tsume growled, causing Kiba and Akamaru to shrink in fear.

"What happened is that I came across a group of people selling drugs to homeless people on the street, and this idiot stopped me from taking them out!" Kanagi shouted angrily while Naruto remained unfazed.

"I stopped you from setting the entire capital on fire," Naruto growled.

"I didn't see you do anything to stop them."

"Because I was going to follow them and find out who they were. My clones were ready and waiting to take care of those people, whether to confiscate the drugs or help anyone already suffering from its affects. You're just lucky that I managed to find a clue, otherwise we'd all be chased out of here faster than you can blink."

"What kind of clue, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked.

Naruto pulled out a small bag and tossed it to Jiraiya. "It's got the symbol for rook drawn on it."

"Another gang?" Tsume wondered. "This could get ugly fast if the others catch wind of someone trying to claim the capital as their territory."

"Especially if all four gangs wind up here," Naruto added.

"Four gangs?" Kiba asked. "I thought we've only seen three."

"We have," Jiraiya replied. "But if the gang we encountered in Mutsunai was called the Lances, and this one was called the Rooks, it would stand to reason that there are at least two others."

"The bishop and the knight," Naruto concluded.

"Anko and the others should be back soon," Jiraiya said. "We should talk this through."

Naruto frowned and nodded. He waited for everyone to gather together before sharing what they had learned. He was pleasantly surprised by Sakura's anger as she yelled at Kiba and Kanagi about their carelessness. Jiraiya gave them all orders to be on the watch for more gang activity, but to draw as little attention to themselves as possible.

The next day, after being chewed out by Imada, Naruto found himself walking through the capital, trying to find the street where everything had taken place the night before. He stopped when he finally arrived only to find the street looked like a warzone. There were clear signs of battle all over the place, far more than Kanagi and Kiba had left, and people were milling about trying to clean up what they could. Adjusting his robes, Naruto ran in and grabbed a stack of wood before the older gentleman carrying them could teeter over from their weight.

"Thank you, son," the man wheezed as Naruto effortlessly carried the wood over to the few people helping with the reconstruction of the already worn down buildings.

"No problem," Naruto replied, dropping the wood. "What happened here?"

"Gangs," the man said, shaking his head. "Someone caught the Rooks sneaking around trying to hand out some of their poison to attract new customers, and the Bishops didn't like them doing business in their territory. By the time the shinobi forces got involved, I'm surprised any of the buildings here are still standing."

Naruto scowled momentarily before schooling his features. "Would you mind terribly if I helped with the clean up?"

The man shook his head and Naruto spent the rest of the day using his clones to help clean up and fix any damage. By the time the sun was setting, he had become fast friends with many of the people on the street. He had just sat down to take a breather when a feeling of dread settled over the air. Turning his head, he watched as a large group of people strutted into the middle of the street, making all the other civilians freeze in fear.

"Alright, listen up!" Called a rather slimy looking man at the head of the group. "As last night proved, there are people who would like to cause the good people of this part of town harm. As such, the Bishops have taken it upon themselves to increase protection for you all. Of course, increased duties such as these are not cheap, so we'll expect your increased support when we come around looking for donations."

"You're already bleeding us dry!" Shouted one man. "How are we supposed to keep up with paying your extortion fees when we can hardly make a living? Especially when you come around destroying our livelihoods!"

"Well," the greasy man replied, and Naruto felt chakra being molded. "You can either make do, or my friends here can demonstrate just what we are protecting you from."

On cue, another man stepped out from behind him and flashed through hand seals before blowing a stream of flame at the dissident. Everyone in the crowd gasped, and the poor man screamed as the fire burned through the air towards him, only to open his eyes when the feeling of being immolated never came. Standing between him and the gang was Naruto, his staff left where he had been sitting as he dispersed a stream of fire for the second time in as many days.

"I dunno who you are kid," the slimy man snarled. "But you just made a big mistake."

"Maybe," Naruto replied, his gravelly voice travelling through the air. "But I've just spent all day helping fix this street, I'm not about to let it all go to waste. So, why don't we all just leave each other in peace?"

The man laughed ad Naruto felt someone creating another aura with their chakra nearby. Calming down, he fixed an angry look on Naruto and growled, "Get him."

The twenty or so gangsters shouted as they charged and Naruto sighed. Flexing his chakra to protect the regular people from the frenzy-inducing effects of the chakra settling over the street, he drew Eclipse and focused his wind chakra through the blade. Scanning each of the approaching enemies, he planned each of his attacks and swung Eclipse just as the first gangster reached him. A series of dark streaks blurred through the air simultaneously as Eclipse slipped inside the first man's guard and ran through his heart. In a matter of moments, all the gangsters save the slimy man dropped to the ground, dead. The slimy man tried to run as Naruto cleaned off Eclipse and sheathed it, only to find his legs trapped by winding tendrils of wood that slowly grew out of the ground.

As if on cue, Imada himself and several of his shinobi arrived, scowling at the scene before him.

"You really don't know the definition of discrete, do you?"

"Imada-sama! This young man here saved us!" The older gentleman whom Naruto had helped when he first arrived exclaimed. "These miscreants wanted to extort more money out of us and he stopped them before they could hurt any of us or our homes."

"Is that so?" Imada asked.

Naruto shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "I'm not a fan of people who use their strength to hurt others."

"Well, in that case, you're work is done here, boy. My men will take this suspect in for interrogation."

Naruto frowned as Imada and his shinobi vanished with his captive, and created some clones to dispose of the bodies on the street. He went back to helping the people with their reconstruction for a few more hours before graciously declining many invitations to dinner in order to return to his hotel. He focused on maintaining a calm demeanor, purposefully slowing his pace and leaning more on his staff as he wound through the streets. He didn't let the mask slip even a bit until he was already inside Anko and Guren's hotel room, having dragged Jiraiya with him away from the hot springs once again, and drawing layers upon layers of security and privacy seals. Finally certain they were secure and no one could listen in on them, Naruto turned to face them, a seious look in his eyes as he signed to his team.

 _We have a problem._

*(OoO)*

Tsunade sighed as she reclined in her seat. She had spent almost all her time since relocating to Uzu playing politics and working with Fujika and Yazawa to gain the loyalties of various nobilities and promonent businesses around the Land of Fire. They faced constant opposition from Hiashi and his delegates, but it seemed that having the Shogun and princess of the country on their side really helped. Fujika was a staunch believer in Naruto's ideals, and therefore had been travelling all around the country trying her best to unify as much of it as she could by lending the aid of Yazawa's samurai to whoever they encountered. She and Yazawa had even set up base with Danzo in a small town near the coast, less than a day away from Uzu.

Meanwhile, Tsunade was also dealing with the issues that came with starting an entirely new village on an island nearly inaccessible by boat. She had spoken with Tsunami, who had taken over Gato's shipping business and was turning it around to be a force for good, and managed to negotiate a deal that made Uzu the new headquarters for her business and helped bring in money and goods to Uzu for when they really started growing. At the moment, they could live off the land, but once Naruto inevitably started charming people into wanting to come live here, they were going to need something more sustainable. Luckily, Karin had an amazing analytical mind, and after returning with Hiruzen, Konohamaru, the Ichirakus, Tsunami, Inari, and Tazuna, had immediately volunteered to put that mind to work. Karin now worked as Tsunade's right hand when it came to anything involving numbers, and had already managed to draw up a rough outline of a budget using the funds Tsunade had brought with her when she left Konoha.

It helped that she was able to send everyone else on some of the higher profile missions she had also brought with her. There were a few of them that were too dangerous to assign at the moment, but after pulling Itachi and Kisame out of the Akatsuki due to them not being able to dig up any more information and Nagato becoming more paranoid after Konan's disappearance, she now had three S-Rank shinobi that could be covertly assigned to the higher ranked missions to bring in funds for Uzu as well as form good will with the clients. Itachi, Kisame, and Konan were all adjusting to life as official shinobi again, though they mostly kept to themselves (with the exception of Kisame who could sometimes be found sparring with Zabuza, instructing him in his own brutal, condescending way).

Tsunade couldn't have imagined that her life would turn out like this before she met Naruto all those years ago, yet now, after having lived with the hyperactive boy for a while, starting a completely new village that housed three of the strongest criminals in the bingo book was somehow not all that surprising. Her thoughts turned to her son, and she fought down that familiar feeling of worry that clawed at her chest when he was away. Naruto was incredibly smart and strong for his age. Besides, he had Jiraiya, Anko, and Guren with him, and they weren't exactly on the most dangerous of missions. They were acting as glorified police officers for a bunch of civilians in a tourist trap of a country, how bad could things be?

As if to answer her question, there was a small whoosh of air being displaced and she looked up to see Anko, Guren, Jiraiya and a pale Naruto standing before her.

"Oh, cool," Naruto murmered. "It worked."

He suddenly slumped to the ground, and Tsunade was across the room before Jiraiya could even reach down to catch him.

"What the hell did he do?" Tsunade growled as she placed his head in her lap and started a diagnostic jutsu.

"Don't worry," Jiraiya said placatingly. "Minato was the same when he first attempted the Hiraishin. He just needs practice."

"You mean he finally figured it out?" Tsunade asked.

"He's been spending a good chunk of free time since our talk with the Daimiyo of Hot Water wrapping his mind around it. If he wasn't working or training, he was summoning dragons over and over to figure out exactly what was going on. He's only feeling weird because he didn't put enough chakra into the technique."

"Why are you all here anyway?" Tsunade asked, relieved once she saw the colour returning to Naruto's face as he stirred in her lap.

"Had to tell you… Walrus is evil… Wants to rule the springs…" he murmured, causing Tsunade to raise an eyebrow and Jiraiya shrugged.

"Naru-kun, I need you to focus on me," Tsunade said softly. "What are you talking about?"

Naruto groaned and lazily moved his hands through the air. _Imada is the one behind it all. Probably wants to rule Hot Water Country._

"How do you know?" Anko asked.

"Felt his chakra," Naruto said quietly, slowly regaining his faculties. "Was helping out around the capital when a bunch of gangsters from the Bishops tried to threaten the people I was with. I felt someone nearby using that technique to try to stir up a frenzy. When I had taken care of the gangsters, the chakra signature approached and I saw that it belonged to Imada."

"Why would the leader of a country's hidden village orchestrate this kind of thing?" Guren wondered. "What does he have to gain? Especially in a peaceful country like Hot Water."

"The bigger question is what we do with this information now that we know," Jiraiya replied as Tsunade moved Naruto up to lay on the couch in the corner of her office.

"I say we stay the course," Naruto suggested. "Even if Imada is the one behind the shinobi using the Daimiyo's technique to affect people's behaviour, there are still four gangs ramping up to turn the capital into a warzone. Ero-Sennin and I can figure out a seal that should keep us and the others from being affected by their jutsu, and inform the Daimiyo so that he can get to work figuring out what he wants to do with Imada."

"What about the others?" Anko asked. "Are we going to tell them about this too?"

Naruto shook his head. "Tsume already told us that Konoha is using this mission as a way to open up negotiations and strong arm Hot Water into being on their side. If Hiashi learns that the Daimiyo knows of a technique that can make people complacent and docile or stir them up into a frenzy he'll march on Yuga and then the capital without a second thought. As for Taisa and the others, their village is already suffering, I'd rather not have someone make things worse for them in an attempt to get back at them."

"That's very wise, Naru-kun," Tsunade said proudly, turning to the others, she crossed her arms. "Naruto's suggestion is sound, and I'm approving that course of action. If at all possible, work to keep any collateral damage to a minimum. In the meantime, I am issuing chunin Uzumaki a probationary field promotion to squad leader. Follow his orders unless Jiraiya says otherwise. Naruto, this is going to be a test to see how well you do in an actual position of command, I expect a full report on your performance from your team when you return."

"If that's the case, I'd like to request Kurenai be sent with us as backup," Naruto replied. "She's a master of Genjutsu, and can help Ero-Sennin and I with the development of our seals as well as using her illusions to keep our activities out of the public eye."

Tsunade considered the request for a minute before replying. "If you want Kurenai with you, you'll have to pick someone to leave behind. Kurenai was going to be sent to Yume with Tayuya to act as our ambassadors while they discuss whether or not to accept your offer of refuge as well as investigate their claims of the Nine-Tails destroying their village."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and frowned in thought. "If that's the case, I'll take both of them and you can send Hebi-hana and Ero-Sennin to Yume. Both are experts at gathering information, and our investigation is finished for the most part. Ongaku-chan and Tenshi-chan would be more useful with Keshho-hime and me."

"Alright," Tsunade replied after a moment of thought. She activated her voice seal and called Kurenai and Tayuya into her office. When they arrived, she explained the situation to them both and smirked internally when they noticeably brightened at the mention of traveling with her son. "Kurenai, you will have veto power over any of Naruto's commands if he explains his decision to you and you find it lacking. Other than that, you both will follow him."

Kurenai and Tayuya nodded and Tsunade watched as all three women placed a hand on her son before vanishing into thin air.

"He'll be fine," Jiraiya reassured her.

"I know," Tsunade replied.

*(OoO)*

They arrived back in the hotel room and Naruto stumbled once again.

 _I have no idea how my father ever used this to fight. Let alone against Dad._

Shaking his head, he turned to the three women behind him and got straight to business.

"Remember to keep a low profile. If anyone asks, you arrived because Anko and Jiraiya needed to be called off for a different mission. Use your voice seals to keep in contact at all times and try not to be caught on your own. I'm gonna assign some clones to figure out that seal and train so I'll see you three in the morning." He smiled and hugged them each before exiting the room, leaving several of his security measures in place for them. He left the hotel once again and made his way back to his little clearing just outside the capital. Once he arrived, he summoned Ryuda, and was surprised to see his familiar was not alone. Standing next to Ryuda was a man with long, spiky black hair that reached down to the small of his back. He had piercing blue eyes that Naruto could have sworn glowed, and other than a pair of baggy white pants that tucked in just below his knees, he wasn't wearing any clothes. The multiple bracelts on his wrist jingled as he moved his arms and smirked.

"So Ryuzuka wasn't lying when she said you were getting the hang of natural energy," the man observed in a deep, rumbling voice.

"Ryusanda-sensei, I presume?" Naruto replied with a smirk of his own.

"Got it in one, kid," Ryusanda replied. "Ryuzuka said that you've been making some steady progress with manipulating water and applying what she's taught you to other aspects of your training, so I thought I'd drop by and lend a hand too."

Naruto smiled and bowed to his latest sensei. "I won't let you down, Sensei."

Ryusanda grinned and dropped to the ground while Naruto sat down across from him. "Alright, now lightning can be a tricky element to master. As with the others you can create it with your chakra by vibrating it at a high frequency and building up a charge." He demonstrated what he was talking about by raising his hand between them and covering it in a cloak of electricity that sparked and flashed before fading as he lowered his hand back to his side. "Unfortunately, there are a few drawbacks to doing it like this, the first one being how difficult it is to control. Unlike water, for example, the energy in lightning doesn't want to be controlled. Water can be manipulated and guided, but lightning represents an imbalance and will naturally move towards restoring that balance."

"What do you mean by an imbalance?" Naruto asked. "Aren't you just converting your chakra into energy like with wind and fire?"

Ryusanda shook his head. "Not quite. Chakra is all about balance. It's created by balancing your physical and spiritual energies within your body. That's why mastering natural energy is so difficult, because you need to completely rework that balance to incorporate a third element when molding your chakra. Lightning is created when there's an imbalance of positive and negative energy, when you vibrate your chakra, it's like rubbing socks on a carpet. You create an imbalance of positive and negative and then use your chakra to guide the attack towards your opponent."

"Is that why lightning release techniques aren't actually as fast as real lightning?"

"Yup. What I'm gonna teach you is a different way to do it, though." Ryusanda smirked as Naruto's eyes shone with excitement. He leaned forwards and gave his undivided attention to his teacher as Ryusanda stood up in front of him. "Unlike wind and fire, which are both energies that can draw power from emotion, lightning requires peace of mind. You need to be in complete control as you manipulate the energies within yourself. Now, activate your Kunshugan and tell me what you see."

Naruto did as instructed and watched as Ryusanda slowly waved his arms around himself in large circular motions, completely different from the sharp piercing moves Naruto had studied when he was trying to develop his own lightning style. He watched as Ryusanda gathered his chakra and split it in two directing both halves to his hands. The chakra in his hands started to change, and Naruto narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out just what was changing about them. Ryusanda wove his hands through the air and his chakra started to gather on the outside of his hands as well. He swirled his hands in front of his chest and Naruto watched, amazed, as lightning started flowing out of his finger tips in circle from one hand to the other. Finally, Ryusanda spun in place, pointed his right hand up into the air while his left touched his wrist and flowed down his body until it was pointed at the ground, and a bolt of lightning erupted from his outstretched fingers and ripped through the air.

"Woah," Naruto whispered. "So you molded your chakra and split into your hands to use them as sort of conductors for the positive and negative energies, then combined them at the point where the lightning came out of. No wonder it looked so similar to my water style."

"That's right," Ryusanda said. "The fluid motions help with the generation of lightning, while the piercing ones you use now are for directing it. Now, what I want you to start working on is separating your energies. As I said earlier, chakra is made out of spiritual and physical energy. These two energies are also known as Yin and Yang chakra."

"They're what's used for non-elemental techniques, right?"

"Correct. They also are composed of positive and negative energies. Your goal is to be able to add each to a separate hand, keeping them equal at all times. When you have managed to mold the energies, you will direct them through your body, always making sure to avoid flowing through your heart, release them. At long ranges, this technique requires less control as you are simply directing the lightning, and should therefore move at speeds close to natural lightning. Once we start working with sage chakra, you will find that controlling your lightning will be far easier as the natural energy creates the link between your positive and negative energies and the energies around you, granting you the control of any other lightning user as well as the power of natural lightning."

Naruto nodded and immediately got to work. He closed his eyes and focused on the chakra within him. He imagined his Yin and Yang energies swirling around each other as they mixed to form the sea of energy inside his body. Hours passed as he meditated, focusing his senses to see his chakra not as one energy, but a swirling mixture of the two. He vaguely registered entering his mindscape, and the warmth of Kurama's tails curling around him. He watched his father's chakra join his own and split into its two components, giving him an example to work with. He wasn't aware of how long passed before he finally tried his hand at separating the two energies. He pictured the swirling mass of chakra as he molded it within himself, and focused on the two energies separating and converging in the palms of his hands. He watched through his mind's eye as twin balls of flame sprouted to life in his hands, one red and the other blue.

Smiling, Naruto turned his senses back outside of himself and noted the presence of Guren sitting a few feet from him, leaning against Ryuda as she watched him meditate. Opening his eyes, he looked up and realised that it was early morning and Ryusanda was nowhere to be found. He smiled as he got up and joined Guren against Ryuda's side as the young dragon slept peacefully.

"Tayuya has been annoying Kanagi with her flute all morning," Guren explained. "I came here for some peace and quiet."

"So long as she doesn't start an incident, I'm fine with that."

"I think we both know that Tayuya _is_ an incident," Guren quipped.

Naruto chuckled and shed his robe, wrapping it around her shoulders as she leaned against him. No words were exchanged between the two of them for the remainder of the time they spent just sitting there, and when Guren's lips found Naruto's, they remained silent, allowing their actions to speak for themselves as they embraced beneath the light of the rising sun. Guren shifted to lay on top of him at some point, and Naruto was on the verge of falling asleep when Kurenai's voice roused them both through their seals.

 _"Naruto-kun, I think you better come back to the hotel. There's someone here to meet you."_

There was an edge to Kurenai's tone that made Naruto and Guren shoot to their feet and shunshin back to the hotel right away. They arrived in his hotel room a moment later and Naruto was frozen in place by the sight of Imada holding a struggling Ryuka in the air by her neck while Taisa and Yomito lay at his feet, unconsious.

"I guess I have your attention."

 **A/N: Alright, next chapter's gonna be the conclusion of this arc and I'll be revealing why I've been dragging three extra characters around and how they related to this whole thing to begin with. There will also be a decent amount of fighting which hopefully make up for how slow the past few chapters have been. I'm not really happy with Guren's first kiss, but I wanted it to be an actual moment of serenity in contrast to the forced peace that the Daimiyo instills and the chaos Imada is sowing. Also, in case it wasn't very clear, Naruto still by no means has mastered the Hiraishin, though he is finding that he's not really a fan of it for anything other than transportation reasons. Anyway, that's all for today, thanks for reading and reviewing, I'll see y'all next time.**


	26. Chapter 26

Kurenai watched fearfully as Naruto and Imada stared each other down. She could sense Imada's shinobi hidden around the room, and didn't move a muscle for fear of them reacting.

"Is there a reason you came barging into my hotel room, Imada-sama?" Naruto asked cooly.

Imada smirked cruelly, his thick mustache curling atop his lip. "I've come to apprehend the ones responsible for the increase in crime around the country."

"Surely you can't be referring to my friends, we've only been in Hot Water for a few weeks."

"That's not what's it says in my report to the Daimiyo," Imada replied. "These _terrorists_ have been sowing discord throughout Hot Water and have aggravated local gangs, turning our capital into a warzone." As he spoke a loud bang could be heard down the street from the hotel followed by a multitude of screaming. "The Daimiyo sits pretty in his little resort while the rest of the people suffer at the hands of these gangs. Eventually they will turn to the only one doing anything to keep them safe, and when they do, Yuga will once again become a respectable shinobi village."

"So, what are you planning on doing with them?" Naruto incquired.

"Oh, I have an associate who will make use of them," Imada said. "In the meantime, I think I'll take them with me for… interrogation…"

There was a brief surge of chakra and Imada vanished with Ryuka, Taisa, and Yomito in a strange sort of blur, while several shinobi dropped down infront of Naruto, Kurenai, and Guren. Kurenai didn't even get a chance to react as she felt Naruto's chakra flare, and a multitude of dark blurs cut through the air, striking down their attackers.

"Guren, notify the Hokage what's happened. Kurenai, guard the door while I call everyone else back."

Kurenai didn't hesitate to follow her orders when she saw the look in Naruto's eyes and activated a Genjutsu to hide herself while she watched the door. Minutes later, Tsume, Kiba, Sakura, and Kanagi were trudging behind Tayuya into his room and she followed them in.

"This better be good, Uzumaki," Kanagi said, his arms crossed. "In case you haven't noticed the capital's going to hell in a handbasket."

"Tsume-san, I'd like to request yours and Kiba's help tracking my friends from Yume," Naruto said. "They were abducted just now and I'm going to get them back."

"Hold on," Kanagi interrupted. "Why should we help you? You got yourself into this mess, it's not our job to get you out."

Kanagi's mouth snapped shut as an enormous pressure crashed down on them all, as if gravity had just been increased ten-fold.

"You said it yourself, Kanagi," Naruto growled. "Things are getting worse out there, and the only way we're making it through this night is by working together. Now, are you going to listen to what I have to say, or am I going to have to make you shut up?"

Kanagi wisely kept his mouth shut, though the glare he directed at Naruto showed he was not happy about being put in his place.

"Akamaru and I will help however we can, Naruto," Kiba said as the pressure eased up.

"So will Kuromaru and I," Tsume added.

"Whatever you need, Naruto-san," Sakura declared.

Naruto nodded and Kuromaru took to sniffing around the room to hunt down Taisa and the others' scents. Once he had a lead, they followed him outside where Naruto turned and started dishing out orders.

"Guren, Tsume, Tayuya, and I will follow Kuromaru. Kurenai, you take Kiba, Sakura, and Kanagi and focus on trying to keep the civilians safe. Your first priority is protection, some of the gangsters look like Yuga shinobi, so don't trust anybody but each other. Lastly, take these," he handed out a slip of paper with a seal drawn on it to each of them. "These should counteract the effects of that jutsu, and help you keep your cool."

Everyone nodded, and Kurenai leapt away with Kiba and the others while Naruto summoned Ryuda. He, Guren, and Tayuya climbed on his back while Tsume hopped on Kuromaru's.

They followed Kuromaru through the streets of the city, moving as fast as they could while avoiding both gangsters and Yuga shinobi alike. They wound their way out of the pristine tourist districts of the capital and into the more dilapidated slums near the edges, out of sight from any visitors entering via the main gate. Naruto's eyes were narrowed, and he leaned down against Ryuda's back while Tayuya wrapped her arms around his middle.

Not a word was said until they came to a stop before a massive run down warehouse. There was a noticeable lack of gangsters fighting in the streets, and Naruto was set on edge as Kuromaru turned around and raised his head to look up at them. "The scent ends inside that building," he growled. "But there are several others inside as well."

"Thanks," Naruto said as he hopped down from Ryuda's back and addressed Tsume. "You don't have to come in. Kanagi may be an ass, but he was right about this not being your fight."

"Kid, the entire time we've been working together, I've seen you work to respect my clan's loyalty to Konoha," Tsume said, dismounting her own companion. "We're known for our loyalty, and even though Kiba is a good friend of yours, you've never made him choose between you and our village. That being said, my son's choice was made long ago, and today I made mine. Kuromaru and I are going in there with you, and once this is all done, the Inuzuka clan is joining Uzu."

Naruto smiled and held his hand out for Tsume to shake before growing serious and facing the door once more. Activating his Kunshugan, he nodded to Ryuda. Ryuda growled and released his transformation, growing to his full fifteen foot height before throwing his weight into the wall, smashing right through it.

Naruto sprang right into action, releasing his seals and unsheathing Eclipse as he leapt at the multitude of shinobi that charged him from all sides. Slamming his foot on the ground, he froze and focused his senses, moving in a blur a moment later as he cut down a shinobi diving towards his back while Eclipse's wind technique cut down several of the shinobi surrounding him on the ground. He vaguely registered the sound of Tayuya's flute, and the snarl of her summons joining Ryuda in wreaking havoc all around them while Tsume and Kuromaru zipped from one end of the warehouse to the other over and over, their twin cyclones tearing through anything in their way. Focusing his senses on Taisa's nearby chakra signature, Naruto cleared a path with a quick application of earth followed by fire chakra through Eclipse before using its water chakra to cover him as he ran forward.

He burst through a door at the back of the warehouse and was forced to immediately jump to the side as a familiar jet of purple chakra tore through the ground towards him.

"Yomito?" He called. "It's me, Naruto! I'm here to help you guys!"

"Oh, they can't hear you." Naruto looked up and snarled as Imada strolled out of the shadows above him, flanked by Yomito and Taisa, both of whom had some sort of seal on their heads. "You see, my associate is quite proficient with seals. Particularly the kind that allow him complete control over another individual. Those Yume clans sure are surprising."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto demanded.

"Now why would I tell you?" Imada asked with a cruel smirk. Taisa and Yomito both jumped down from the rafters and started approaching Naruto, their eyes blank despite the threatening scowls on both of their faces. "Now, I have an appointment to get to, so I'll leave your friends to deal with you. I will tell you this though, all the clans from Yume are reknowned for their ability to transform, so you might want to be careful."

Imada laughed and Naruto froze time just as he felt Imada's chakra surge. He examined the mixture of wind and lightning chakra flowing through Imada's body as well as the similarity to the shunshin and summoning techniques in its molding and stored that information for later before turning his gaze on the seals adorning Taisa and Yomito's foreheads. It wasn't like a regular loyalty seal that changed a person's perception. Instead it seemed that the chakra of the seal was overwriting their own, robbing them of their rational thought. He hoped that there was some way to separate the connection between the boys and their controller, but found that they weren't being directly controlled. The seal had what looked like command seals integrated into it, forcing Taisa and Yomito to do what they were told withing the parameters of specific commands within the seal. On top of that, it seemed to be fueling itself with their own chakra, and considering Naruto didn't have the time to develop a counter or removal seal like he did for Hinata's Caged Bird, he was going to have to beat both boys if had any hope of freeing them.

Unfreezing time, he sighed and sheathed Eclipse. "I know you can't hear me," he said, "but I'm going to free you two and get Ryuka back. That's a promise." He planted his staff into the ground and lowered into his wind stance.

Yomito snarled and unleashed a flurry of chakra jets which Naruto jumped and danced around before being slammed out of the air by Taisa. He grit his teeth as Taisa's body cloaked itself in lightning chakra and felt his muscles convulse as he was slammed into the wall. Springing to his feet, he created several clones and rushed Taisa and Yugito with a flurry of elements, making sure not to cause any permanent damage. He was happy to see Taisa and Yugito backing up as the clones encircled them and peppered them with hunks of rock and jets of flame until both boys doubled over with a roar and chakra surged out of them destroying all of Naruto's clones.

A loud crash rang through the warehouse as Naruto was sent flying through the wall at the back, skidding to a halt at Guren's feet where she was protecting Tayuya as her Doki tore through their enemies. Guren kneeled down and helped him to his feet as two loud roars shook the walls around them. A thick purple mist seeped out of the hole he had made, and Tayuya froze as they watched two hulking… _things…_ burst through the wall.

The first was a giant armored beetle. It was easily eight feet tall and its black carapace as well as the five horns jutting out around its head were covered in jagged orange and violet markings while its six legs were wrapped in bandages, violet spikes bursting through the coverings. Lightning crackled around its body, and the pungent violet mist they had seen earlier emitted from its body, choking and burning any of the Yuga shinobi unfortunate enough to be nearby and inhale it.

The second monster was unaffected by the toxic fumes and stood menacingly over its companion, easily twelve feet tall. It resembled an oni, or some other similar creature of myth, with dark, leathery skin that stretched over bulging muscles, and vibrant red hair bursting wildly out from behind its menacing mask. Its legs remained crouched as a rumbling sound shook its chest before it roared and threw its hands to the side –slamming into a few Yuga shinobi and splattering them across the walls. The ogre charged towards them, forcing Tayuya and Guren to leap into the rafters above, Naruto dangling between them.

"What the _fuck_ are those things?!" Tayuya shouted.

"Taisa and Yomito," Naruto grunted, standing to his feet. "Imada put a seal on them and is controlling their actions. They both are able to use their clans' transformation techniques to turn into those things in a fight."

"We're going to have a hard time beating them if that bug is leaking poison everywhere it goes," Tsume said as she and Kuromaru joined them.

Naruto grunted and activated his voice seal. "Kurenai, how are things going?"

 _"Most of the fighting has died down,"_ Kurenai reported. _"We managed to stop a lot of the gang members, and Sugita's arrived from Mutsunai with his own shinobi who seem to be on our side."_

"Alright. Imada still has Ryuka, and I have a feeling I know where he's going. We just need to wrap things up here, and we'll meet you at the hotel."

He jumped down to the ground as Taisa charged through one of the support beams holding up the rafters. Ryuda was locked in a grappling match against Yomito, and Naruto was determined to keep Taisa's poison gas away from his brother.

"Hey, Taisa! Over here!"

The massive beetle chittered angrily and lightning sparked across its body as it charged him. Naruto already knew from experience that Taisa's shell was all but inpenetrable, deflecting all of his attacks effortlessly. That didn't deter him from planting his feet with his wood release and holding his hands out, catching Taisa by the two largest horns sprouting out from either side of his jaw, and crying out as they slipped through his hands, impaling him through either side of his lower torso, while the ground underneath his feet tore up. They eventually slowed to a stop, and Naruto screamed as he pumped chakra to his muscles, slamming his foot into the ground as he pivoted to create a spike of earth that erupted out of the ground and into Tasia's exposed underbelly, transferring enough momentum for Naruto to spin and launch Taisa over his shoulder and slam his back into the ground. Naturo grunted as Taisa's horns slid out of his body, and jumped away, creating a sphere of air around himself as the lightning surrounding the massive bug faded and toxic mist started rising out of it while it struggled to right itself.

Reacting to an impulse, Naruto raised his left hand and felt his staff soar through the air into his open palm, before slamming the butt of it into the crack in Taisa's exoskeleton on his stomach. The staff smashed through the armored exterior and Naruto immediately felt his staff absorbing Taisa's chakra at an incredible rate. The transformation faded with a burst of smoke, and Naruto raised his staff, watching the seal on Taisa's forehead fall off and erupt in a small flame before turning to face Yomito who was pinned to the ground by Ryuda, his dagger-like teeth poised directly over the ogre's neck while Kuromaru and Tayuya's Doki watched in case he tried anything.

Walking over, Naruto tapped his staff against the centre of Yomito's forehead and absorbed his chakra until he too was freed from his seal. Removing his staff, Naruto helped Yomito to his feet while Tsume did the same for Taisa.

"Naruto-san, the voices of the dead informed me that you are the one who saved me and Taisa," Yomito mumbled. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it," Naruto replied as he helped them both onto Ryuda's back. They rushed back through the streets, and Naruto was unsurprised to find the tourist section of the capital practically intact, while much of the rest looked like it had taken the brunt of the damage from the battles.

They arrived at the hotel and met with Kurenai and the others as well as Sugita, who was waiting with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall.

"Are you okay?" Kurenai asked the second he was within earshot. Naruto chuckled as she checked him over, a cute frown on her face when she saw the bloody holes in his robes, the skin beneath already healed over.

"We're fine," Naruto reassured her. "But we need to get moving. Imada is headed for Yume."

"Then let's get moving," Kiba announced only to frown when Naruto shook his head.

 _You guys have done enough,_ Naruto signed. _Your mom has agreed to my offer and I need you both back in Konoha so you can make preparations to get your clan out as soon as possible. Ero-Sennin is already in Yume so we'll have plenty of back up._

Kiba sighed and his shoulders dropped. "Alright, I guess that's an okay reason."

Naruto smiled and embraced his friend before turning to Tsume and bowing. "Thank you for your help. I hope you have a safe journey back to Konoha."

Tsume, having caught on to the interaction between Naruto and Kiba nodded and returned the sentiment. "I hope we can work together sometime soon, Uzumaki-san," she said with a significant look before turning back into the hotel, followed by Kanagi and a hesitant Sakura.

"What makes you think Imada is headed to Yume?" Sugita asked.

A brief scan of his intentions courtesy of his dad revealed Sugita's intentions to be sincere, so Naruto simply reactivated his restriction seals and turned towards the road out of the capital.

"I'll explain on the way."

*(OoO)*

Naruto exuded a dangerous aura around his person as he led the sprint towards Yume. He quickly explained everything that had happened to Sugita since he had left Mutsunai, and didn't say a word more until they were making camp for the night. The breakneck pace they were moving at insured they would arrive in Yume the next day, and Kurenai was feeling a burn in her muscles from a full day's running at near her top speed. Jiraiya had responded over the voice seals, and explained that Ryuka's father, the leader of Yume, had told him that the only reason someone would want to kidnap her would be to release a creature known as the Three-Headed Beast.

"Tell me everything you know about the Three-Headed Beast," Naruto demanded once they had set up camp.

Taisa and Yomito exchanged a look before Taisa started speaking. "Yume was founded by my clan, the Amagiri. For a long time we were the ruling power in the village. Then, the Three-Heads appeared. It was said that the Three-Heads is a monster made up entirely of chakra that brought about cataclysm. According to legends, the first cry of the beast will scorch mountains and plains, the second will shake the earth, and the third will return everything to nothingness. The Tenro clan were the ones who finally sealed the Three-Heads away, and for that they were made the leaders of the village, while the Amagiri fought to hold on to their power. When that fake Nine-Tails attacked, my father was one of the ones lost in the destruction. He was working to mend the divide between our clan and the rest of the village. If anyone is responsible for all of this, it's an Amagiri."

Naruto heaved a deep breath and stood up. "Thank you for telling me that. We leave at dawn, and we're _going_ to get Ryuka back."

Kurenai watched him walk out of the firelight, into the darkness surrounding them, and exchanged a look with Guren and Tayuya.

"You two go," Guren said. "I'll keep watch first with Ryuda."

Kurenai smiled gratefully and she and Tayuya stood up to follow Naruto into the bamboo forest. They found him sitting cross-legged in front of a small stream, his open hands resting on his knees while his staff lay across his lap. Kurenai watched as Naruto's breathing increased, beads of sweat pouring down his face and chest as two little balls of flame appeared in his hands, one red and the other blue. They could feel the emotions rolling off of him as his chakra flared, blanketing the air with his presence.

Tayuya frowned at the feeling of guilt and anger rolling off Naruto and reached into her shirt to pull out her flute. Slowly, she started playing a soft melody, watching as Naruto's frenzied emotions started to calm and an aura of serenity filled the air. Naruto opened his eyes and smiled at them both, beckoning them over while he stood and started to run through some stances. Tayuya kept playing as she and Kurenai watched Naruto swirl his arms around to the beat of her song, amazed when the two flames in his hands vanished and lightning started forming on the tips of his outstretched fingers. He continued to move with her song, and the lightning moved with him, its sparking and cracking adding an almost ethereal energy to the tune.

Tayuya smirked and increased the tempo to her melody, watching as Naruto sped up with it until the song reached its climax and he thrusted his arms skyward, the lightning arcing up in a beautiful display of power. The air smelled of copper as Naruto lowered his arms and strode over to sit back down between Tayuya and Kurenai, a gentle smile on his face.

"Thank you," he whispered, pulling them close. "Both of you."

Kurenai leaned closer, basking in the unique smell sweat and something that was undeniably _Naruto._ It must have been his constant usage of the different elements, but Kurenai could have sworn he smelled like nature itself.

"We're here for you, Naruto," Tayuya said, leaning against his other side. "No one blames you for what happened."

"I know," Naruto sighed, leaning back so that they were all laying on the ground watching the stars. "It still hurts. Ryuka and the others were under _my_ watch, and I let them get kidnapped."

"That's part of being a shinobi," Kurenai said, stroking her hand along his chest. "Sometimes things go wrong, and people get hurt. The only thing you can do is keep moving forward."

"You're right. Doesn't stop me from worrying though, especially when I think about what Imada is planning on doing when he unseals a monster as strong as a Tailed-Beast."

"Well then, maybe we can distract you for a while," Tayuya replied slyly before capturing Naruto's lips in a searing kiss. Kurenai watched them for a moment before smirking and deciding to get in on the fun, laying kisses along Naruto's whiskered cheeks and neck. Eventually, she and Tayuya switched places, and Naruto let out a rumpbling growl as he pulled them both closer, surprising Kurenai. She had definitely not been expecting him to keep up with the both of them so naturally. In fact, even when she and Naruto had shared their first kiss, there was a strange lack of hesitance for someone as young and inexperienced as Naruto. Shoving those thoughts aside, she whimpered quietly when Tayuya switched from kissing Naruto to peppering kisses up and down her neck. The feeling of Naruto's chakra permeated the air, filling both women with a feeling of comfort and security, heat rising in both of them as their passion grew.

Tayuya lost track of time when Naruto started slowing the kisses down, gently bringing them back from a line she herself didn't even feel ready to cross, let alone with another woman present. Naruto curled his arms around her and Kurenai and pulled them both close as he closed his eyes, sighing in content as he placed a kiss on the top of their heads before his breathing evened out, comfortably asleep with both their heads resting on his chest.

The next morning, they all awoke to find a smirking Guren standing over them, a hint of jealousy in her eyes. They rose and quickly packed their things before Taisa and Yomito, still suffering slightly from chakra exhaustion after their fight with Naruto, were placed on Ryuda's back and they continued on their way to Yume.

They arrived a few hours after noon and were greeted by Jiraiya and Anko as well as a large and bulky man with grey spiky hair. His attire consisted of a grey sleeveless kimono shirt with a collar lining of dark blue fur and brown pants with leg warmers in matching fur. His forehead protector was shaped like a face-guard, and he wore a red scarf around his neck with round stone ornaments attached.

"You're the shinobi my daughter was with when she was taken?" The man said once they approached.

Naruto nodded and scanned the remains of the village from the hill they were standing on. It was no wonder they thought he and Kurama had been the one to attack. Almost the entire village was devastated, and only a few buildings were still standing, everything else was no more than rubble.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, you said that Ryuka is most likely going to be used to unseal the Three-Heads, right?"

"So you are the one who made us the offer of refuge in Uzu," the man remarked. "I am Enzo, leader of this village and head of the Tenro clan. I wish we could have met under better circumstances. Yes, Ryuka is the current holder of the key to unseal the Three-Headed Guardian Beast. It remains sealed just outside the village, within a nearby volcano."

Naruto nodded and considered his options. "Enzo-san, I swore I would get your daughter back. But I can't do that if I have to worry about your village being caught in the crossfire. Is there a safe place you can take them while my friends and I deal with Imada?"

"It will be handled," Enzo said resolutely. "Just please get my daughter back for me. We've lost enough people over the last few months, I don't want to add her to the list."

"We're coming too," Taisa said. Naruto turned to refuse, but one look into his and Yomito's eyes told him they weren't going to take no for an answer where there friend was concerned.

Naruto nodded. "Alright. Ero-Sennin, you, Hebi-hana, and Kessho-hime are with me. Tenshi-chan, Ongaku-chan you two help Enzo-sama with the evacuation and keeping people safe. I have a feeling an attack is coming."

Kurenai and Tayuya looked like they wanted to protest, but nodded anyway, resigned to the fact that their genjutsu would not be as helpful as Anko, and Guren's more offensive techniques in the coming fight. The group split up, and Naruto turned towards the nearby volcano looming over the village. It took them less than an hour to arrive, and Naruto slammed his foot into the ground, focusing his senses on the vibrations in the ground to locate a nearby cave.

They immediately ran into resistance as shinobi from both Yuga and Yume appeared from behind the dark stalagmites and stalagtites, some with seals on their foreheads, some without. Sweat poured down Naruto's face as he jumped between pools of lava that littered the caves and manipulated the molten rock towards his enemies, wincing internally at their gruesome screams before the heat and toxic gases ended their suffering. Guren, Jiraiya, and Anko were all making short work of the other shinobi, so he, Ryuda, Taisa, and Yomito pushed forward, deeper into the system of caves.

The others eventually caught up with them, and they all fought their way further into the volcano until they came upon a massive cave filled with pools of lava where the molten rock erupted out of the ground like gysers. At the back of the cave were Ryuka with a seal placed on her forehead, Imada, and an unknown third figure standing in front of a massive blue sphere the size of the new Hokage Tower in Uzu.

"Good to see you, Uzumaki!" Imada yelled across the cavern. "I see you brought back up with you! Lucky for me, I did too!"

Even more shinobi dropped down in the space between the two groups and Naruto turned to look at his companions.

"Go," Jiraiya said. "We can take these guys easy, you handle that mustachioed jackass."

Naruto grinned and released his seals as he leapt off the ledge they were standing on and ran across the room. Imada smirked and hefted a massive steel club covered in spikes over his shoulder and jumped down to meet him. The ground cracked under his bulk, and lava shot up out of the ground behind him as Imada rose to his full height, well over six feet while the muscles of his arms bulged under the weight of the four foot club. Naruto activated his Kunshugan just in time to see the mixture of wind and lightning chakra course through Imada's body before he vanished, reappearing right in front of Naruto and swinging his club down to crush him. Naruto dodged and Imada's club crashed through the fragile igneus rock, creating a spurt of lava underneath it.

"Surprised?" Imada asked as he vanished and appeared behind Naruto, swinging his club. Naruto ducked and drew Eclipse, slashing at Imada's exposed middle only to strike thin air. "Most people don't think a guy like me can move very fast. Gives me a decent opening when I use my Swift Release." Lightning cloaked his club as he reappeared over Naruto sticking to the wall. He swung his club and a bright bolt of blue lightning burst forwards arcing through the air.

Naruto leapt out of the way and took a deep breath, only for it to be smashed out of his lungs as Imada appeared in front of him, batting him back the way he came and slamming him into the wall. Naruto groaned and tore himself out of the wall of the cave, he closed his eyes and froze time to give himself a moment to think. He could feel Kurama channeling some of his own chakra to mend his fractured ribs and the hole in his side one of the spikes left and sent a wave of gratitude to his father.

 _So, instantaneous movement,_ he thought. _How do I deal with that?_

He opened his eyes to look at Imada, unfreezing time for less than a second, and examined the chakra inside his opponent's body. The technique he was using was similar to the Shunshin in that he was channeling the mixture of wind and lightning chakra to his limbs to dramatically increase his speed, but despite being able to cross large distances in a moment, Imada still suffered from his attacks being slow and easy to dodge if you saw them coming. That meant that his bulk still slowed him down, and the technique didn't make as fast as he would like Naruto to believe. On top of that, Naruto saw some core similarities between Imada's Jutsu and the Hiraishin. He could feel Imada's chakra being projected to the spot right behind him, and guessed that the technique moved the user at high enough speeds to effectively teleport them. Imada projected his chakra to where he wanted to be and allowed himself to be pulled at ridiculous speeds towards that location. The chakra in his limbs was to reinforce himself upon landing.

 _Now it's just a matter of figuring out his pattern._

Unfreezing time, Naruto ducked and spun as Imada appeared behind him, his club wreathed in electricity as it passed harmlessly overhead, causing Imada to over extend. Naruto struck out with Eclipse, and managed to graze his side before Imada vanished and appeared on the other side of the room. Raising his staff, Naruto intercepted the bolt of lightning being shot at him, absorbing the chakra in the technique, and using his own to safely divert the energy in the technique out of his body and into the ground.

Planting his staff into the ground (a part of Naruto thought that he really had to figure out what to do with his staff while in a fight), Naruto ducked into his own lighning stance, and channeled his chakra through Eclipse. His reflexes went into over drive as everything seemed to slow down, and he felt Imada's chakra once again appear behind him. Spinning in place, he raised his left hand and caught the edge of the club, a crater forming under his feet from the displacement of the forces, and used his other hand to channel the electricity down his arm, holding Eclipse perpendicular until he reached his chest where he rotated it to be parallel to his arm as he directed the electricity down around his stomach, and spinning the blade up and out as he guided it along his other arm towards his sword.

Eclipse glowed and he folloed his instincts as he thrusted the blade forward into Imada's gut, the lightning chakra acting in a similar manner to when he used his wind chakra as it created multiple stabbing blades of black energy in the air around it, while the energy cloaking the blade extended its length. Imada vanished in time to avoid any lethal blows, but Naruto could see various cuts littering his torso once he reappeared.

"You might be fast, Imada," Naruto called. He felt Imada throw his chakra to another wall above and behind himself and channeled his chakra into his unrestrained limbs as he leapt into the air, briefly impressed by how much his speed had improved through the use of his resistance seals, Eclipse a blur of black, piercing strikes as he intercepted Imada and peppered him with cuts before he vanished again. "But you're terribly predictable."

"I'll show you predictable," Imada growled as he reappeared near his original position in front of the giant blue sphere, which was now pulsing with a dark violet glow. "Gensui, put the seal on me!"

The third figure standing in front of a forcibly complacent Ryuka, turned and Naruto heard Taisa and Yomito gasp.

"Dad?!" Taisa shouted. "What are you doing here? We thought you died when that fake Nine-Tails attacked!"

The man stepped forward revealing himself to be an older man with long white hair that pointed up at his temples while the rest was straight and tied into two loose, think ponytails behind his back. He wore a pointed black hat, and yellow robes and bore face paint similar to what Taisa wore. He scowled as he regarded his son with distaste.

"You always were a disappointment, Taisa," Gensui said calmly. "Running around with those brats from the other clans, you completely disregarded the shame they had brought upon your own people."

"What are you talking about?" Taisa shouted. "You and Enzo-sama were best friends! You helped him lead the village and bridge the divide between our clans."

Gensui scoffed. "Please, that man was nothing more than a puppet to get me closer to my true goal. Making him believe I was on his side was child's play."

"I take it you were the one who framed Naruto, then?" Jiraiya asked as he broke the neck of the man he was fighting.

Gensui smirked. "Indeed I was, and as Imada here has so graciously volunteered, allow me to show you how I turn my puppets into some of the most fearsome creatures known to man!" Imada's eyes widened at the mention of puppets and he opened his mouth to protest, but Gensui beat him to the punch and slapped a seal on his forehead. Immediately a massive amount of chakra started pouring out of Imada as he disappeared in an explosion of smoke. In his place stood the massive form of Shukaku, crouched down to accommodate the tight space inside of the cavern before rising to its full height and crashing through the roof of the cave, sunlight streaming in through the hole in the side of the volcano. "Of course, mimicking the chakra of a Tailed-Beast is rather exhausting, so poor Imada here will likely expire once the transformation is done, but it wasn't like I was going to continue to help him after teaching how to adjust that little genjutsu the Hot Water Daimiyo uses, anyway, so it all works out in the end."

Shukaku roared and launched a massive ball of chakra at them, blowing another hole in the side of the volcano as Naruto and the others only just avoided being caught in the blast.

"There's no way we can fight a Tailed-Beast on our own," Jiraiya yelled as Shukaku roared. "Especially not if Gensui manages to summon the Three-Heads."

As if on cue, there was a scream from the other room as a bright bolt of light shot out of Ryuka and she dropped to the ground, unconscious. The blue sphere pulsed more violently before an ear-splitting screech pierced the air. Naruto closed his eyes as a foul wind blew over them all, and when he opened them, he saw a second gargantuan creature standing behind Shukaku. The volcano shook with the amount of damage it was taking, and Naruto saw a large plume of smoke rising into the sky above them.

"Jiraiya, get everyone back to Yume and make sure they're safe, then grab anyone who can use water techniques and wait for me."

"There's no way I'm letting you face these things on your own, Naruto," Jiraiya countered.

"I'm not," Naruto replied. "I've got Dad and Ryuda with me. Plus I'm the only one who has summons that could possibly take these things on."

Jiraiya looked like he wanted to argue, but one look into the spinning form of Naruto's eyes told him it wasn't an argument he could win. He nodded and dashed over with Naruto to grab Ryuka while Naruto threw a kick to the side of Gensui's head.

Gensui grunted and was sent flying, landing at the feet of the Three-Heads, and Naruto dodged a blast of sand as he finally took the time to examine the second beast. Its body was similar to that of a lion's, a beige piece of spiked armor rested above its main head while the other two sprouted from it just above the beast's shoulders. The heads were smooth and white, like most of its body, without any features except for a pair of beady eyes. The underside of its body was a dark purple and seemed harder than the rest of it. It stood still, its gale-like breathing the only indication it was even alive.

The fake Shukaku roared and both Naruto and the Three-Heads turned their attention to it. Thinking quickly, Naruto sprinted forward and kicked Gensui once more in the head, knocking him out. He tossed his unconscious body towards Jiriaya, figuring the people of Yume would want to deal with him themselves, and began channeling as much of both his and Kurama's chakra as he could. Biting his thumb, he reached out and summoned his staff to add to the reserve of chakra he was channeling, before slamming it into the ground.

The top of the volcano exploded and two massive figures appeared amongst the raining fire. One was easily taller than Shukaku, and vaguely humanoid in shape. As the flames covering its body died down, they unveiled a large bipedal dragon, covered in red spiky scales arranged like armor. Its head was crested by three curved, black horns, while another three curled around and behind its neck. Its long silver claws sprouted out of hands that were covered in a gauntlet of spiked scales that tapered off just below the elbow, exposing its massive biceps and shoulders, while the assortment of scales around its waist looked almost like an armored skirt, while its taloned feet were covered similarly to its hands. Its back had two vents just below the spikes curling around its neck where fire billowed out in the shape of great, plumed wings.

"So, it looks like we finally both get summoned, eh, Ryukoho?" The massive fire dragon asked its companion.

The second dragon looked like it had spent the last few millennia buried under ground. It was covered in moss and dirt, as well as various outcroppings of crystal all over its body. The exposed parts of its body revealed a quadrupedal behemoth that overshadowed the Three-Heads with ease. Its black and red armor covered its legs, back, and head while braided vines fell from its sides, giving it an ancient, tribal look. The horns sprouting from its helmet were a cross between a rhino's horn as they curved forward over each brow and antlers where they curverd back and out to the sides. Its legs were thicker around than the thickest tree Naruto had ever seen, and the claws at the end of its house-sized feet looked like they could tear up in entire street each.

Ryukoho rumbled with a chuckle as he responded. "I would have preferred being summoned on my own, but I guess there's worse company than you, Ryuhima."

"Oy!" Naruto shouted, drawing both dragon's attention. "I know you guys are supposed to test me and everything, but that's gonna need to wait until after we stand up to these two and stop a volcano from destroying the villagers down below!"

"Standing up against insurmountable odds?" Ryukoho pondered.

"And passionately defending others?" Ryuhima added. Both dragons looked to each other before feral grins showed of their rows of powerful teeth.

"We can work with that," they said simultaneously. The fake Shukaku and the Three-Heads finally seemed to move into action and Naruto let the four titans slammed into each other while he and Ryuda hurried back to Yume, outrunning a stream of lava making its way down the volcano. Leaping into the air, Ryuda unfurled his wings, the appendages having grown to be more proportional over the course of the last few weeks, and they flew back towards where Jiraiya, Anko, Guren, Kurenai, Tayuya, and several shinobi from Yume stood waiting for them.

"I'm gonna slow down and split the lava into several streams!" Naruto called, channeling his chakra into his voice to project it. "Use earth jutsu to protect the village and divert the lava while water techniques are used to cool it! Today is not the day Yume falls!"

The gathered shinobi watched as the boy sitting atop his dragon flew back towards the battle between monsters the likes of which none of them could stand a chance, all to save them from the impending magma, and were inspired. Trenches were quickly dug around the village towards the river running through it while earthen and crystal walls rose up all along them. Naruto and Ryuda flew up the volcano, diving just in time to avoid a stray blast of energy from the Three-Heads as it careened through the air and exploded above the village. Ryukoho roared and countered by charging into it before opening his mouth and unleashing his own blast of pure earth-natured chakra right into the center head. Meanwhile, Ryuhima held his ground against the fake Shukaku easily. Incinerating and melting the sand thrown at him just as fast as it was made before jumping high into the air and unleashing a pillar of flame from his mouth that engulfed the imitation Tailed-Beast and burned through everything in the vicinity with an ocean of hellfire.

Ryuda came to a stop over the flowing lava, and Naruto huffed as the heat and fumes rising up choked him.

"If you die, I'm gonna kill you!" Ryuda shouted before Naruto leapt off his back and slammed his staff into the lava as he fell. The molten rock all around him splashed into the air before collapsing back into itself, granting Naruto enough time to create a pillar of earth beneath his feet and rise up above the endless flow.

Freezing time, Naruto surveyed his surroundings. The amount of lava flowing towards the village would be too much for the river to handle, even with the help of the shinobi, so he needed a safe place to divert the majority of the flow. Unfortunately, Yume was surrounded by forest, and Naruto wasn't about to start a wildfire. Looking back towards the village, he settled for slowing the flow for now, and raised his arms in front of him, walls of crystal rising up out of the ground and bottlenecking the lava into several streams. This caused the flow to speed up, but the amount flowing towards the village was now lessened as the lava piled on top of itself, hardening and hindering the rest of the flow. He watched as the lava streamed towards Yume and the shinobi diverted and extinguished it with ease and allowed himself a breath of relief, exhaustion starting to creep into his muscles.

Cheering could be heard from the village as the crystal pathways backed up with solidified rock, and the lava flow slowed, until an earth shaking explosion obliterated the top of the volcano and even more lava erupted into the air before falling down towards the village in a veritable tsunami. Ryuhima and Ryukoho rose out of the magma, rumbling growls giving way to thunderous roars as they both rammed into their opponents before spinning and hurling them at the top of what was left of the volcano before opening their jaws and unleashing a staggering amount of their respective natured chakra. The beams of raw energy combined and slammed into the two monsters, wiping them from the face of the earth as the bright light of the explosion faded. With what remained of the volcano, they stemmed the flow of lava with a stomp on the ground creating a new mountain out of the first while fire melted the pillar to cap over the erupting volcano. Their jobs done, they both nodded to Naruto without a word before vanishing in twin flashes of light, leaving Naruto to deal with the tidal wave of molten rock still barreling towards him and the people below.

With a shout, he channeled Kurama's chakra, forming a cloak around him with two fox-like tails of energy bursting out near the base of his spine, and slammed his staff into the ground just as the lava bore down on him. His pillar of stone slammed back into the earth and the shock wave caused the lava to leap into the air in an actual wave that was quickly coming down upon his head. Forcing his chakra to take hold of the energy around him, Naruto threw his fists forwards stopping the fifty foot wave in its tracks before shifting his feet and slamming his hands down, causing the wave of rock to recede and curl the other way in a curved wall stretching around him and blocking access to Yume. He then opened and closed his hands slowly, focusing on drawing the heat and fire out of the lava, grunting as it fought him for control while the bright orange wall slowly darkened to a burnt black.

His chakra cloak faded as he released the technique and he just barely managed to hold himself up by his staff as he stumbled down the hill towards the cheering crowds of Yume.

Idly, he wondered if all of his missions were going to end with him falling unconscious, before the exhaustion set in and he collapsed.

 **A/N: And now we're finally done with this arc and I can go back to having a more manageable amount of characters at any one time. I know the dragon appearances are starting to get predictable as the end of each arc, but there's only one dragon left to summon, and I want them all out of the way so they can all start teaching Naruto. Also, I know the action for the dragons was lacking, but I had an idea of Naruto's reputation building not just from his ability to summon dragons, but for wilder wackier rumors to spring up about him after he was seen literally fighting a volcano. Lastly, we now have another advanced element for Naruto to master, one that he'll like more than the Hiraishin, as far as combat abilities go. His usage of the Hiraishin is primarily going to be for travel. Anyways, next we'll be headed to the Land of Water, Naruto's first foray into another of the Great Nations and will be his first look at the real cruelties of war, as opposed to the brief flashes he's seen so far. Thanks for reading and reviewing as always, and I'll see you next time.**


	27. Chapter 27

When Naruto finally awoke he found himself in what he recognised to be his room in the Hokage Tower in Uzu. He noted that he was actually lying on a bed this time and not just a wooden rame, and figured Tsunade must have gotten started on bringing in supplies. Sitting up, he groaned as the door opened and Shizune entered the room.

"Oh, Naruto-kun, you're awake!" She exclaimed as she raised her head, her little pig oinking happily in her arms. "You've been unconscious for a little over a week, how do you feel?"

 _Like I got in a fight with a mountain,_ Naruto signed, his throat hurting more than usual.

"That's not far from what happened," Shizune replied with a laugh. "Thanks to you, the people of Yume didn't suffer a single loss from the volcano's eruption. Though I guess it's safe to say the people formerly of Yume."

 _They've accepted my offer?_

"That's right. Even the Amagiri clan put aside its grudge with others after seeing Gensui's treachery and your actions to protect them all. Enzo-sama and Tsunade-sama are currently deliberating with the other clan heads on what to do with him while Yazawa-sama has sent some of his samurai to help with their relocation."

 _I'm glad. Where are the others?_

"Konan, Itachi-san, and Kisame-san just returned from their own mission the other day, while Guren, Tayuya, and Anko left for one this morning. I'm not too certain about everyone else, but once I've done a final check up on you, I can clear you to go and see them."

Naruto nodded and allowed his surrogate big sister to examine him before swinging his feet out of the bed. He stumbled slightly and held out his hand, his staff flying across the room to provide him with support. Looking around the room, he found Eclipse sitting in its sheath near where his staff had been and walked over to strap it to his waist, a pleasing hum pulsed through him from both it and his staff once he was equipped. Looking down, he realised he wasn't wearing anything but a pair of dark, baggy pants, and looked around for something to cover himself with before settling on a burnt orange robe hanging on a nearby chair.

Throwing the robe over his shoulders, Naruto didn't bother to tie it, leaving his scarred chest and neck exposed as he followed Shizune through the halls towards his mother's office. Shizune knocked and they entered when Tsunade's voice called them.

Naruto smiled as he watched his mother lean over her desk, signing some sort of paperwork while Karin sat nearby reading through documents on the couch. Karin was the first to look up at the visitors and her face brightened when she layed eyes on Naruto.

"Naruto-nii!" She shouted, tossing aside the documents and shooting to her feet to embrace her fellow Uzumaki.

Naruto chuckled and returned the embrace while Tsunade looked up and smiled. She stood up and calmly rounded her desk before pulling her son into her arms. Naruto sighed and relaxed into his mother's embrace. There was something about the way Tsunade held him to her that had always put his mind at ease and made him feel better.

"I was worried about you," Tsunade whispered into his hair.

"Sorry," Naruto croaked.

"Don't be, it comes with the job of being your mom."

Even now, it still brought a grin to Naruto's face when he thought about the fact that he finally had parents and a family. Sure his dad was a giant monster made out of chakra sealed inside of him and his mom was an alchohlic gambler with the occasional anger issues, but he wouldn't change them for anything.

Pulling apart, Naruto returned to signing, hoping to give his throat a break. He had been speaking a lot more than he usually did, and it was taking its toll on his damaged vocal chords.

 _How have things been while I was away?_

Tsunade smiled and returned to her seat. She and Karin explained how they had been working with Fujika, Danzo, and Yazawa to clean up the Land of Fire, setting up base in a town near the coast named Nagakita for ease of access with Uzu. The town had initially been wary of their presence, but the combined efforts of Danzo's shinobi and Yazawa's samurai in wiping out any and all bandits around the village as well as helping the people however they could quickly won them over.

Tsunade had just been explaining their efforts to improve the defences around Nagakita, as well as Tsunami's efforts to bring in workers and business to the many port cities along the Land of Fire's coast when a soft knock interrupted her and Itachi entered the office.

"Hokage-sama," he said with a bow. He had dispensed with his Akatsuki cloak and was now clothed similarly to an ANBU agent with a chest plate over his baggy, dark blue shirt and chain-mesh undershirt, and dark grey arm guards. His black pants were tucked into white shin guards, and a three-foot katana hung across the back of his waist by a loop in his belt. "If I may, I would like to address what we discussed before I left for my mission."

Tsunade nodded and turned to Naruto. "Naru-kun, Itachi has requested that he be allowed to oversee your training, and takeover as your instructor. Is that okay with you?"

Naruto looked between Itachi and Tsunade, noting the well-hidden hesitance in both their eyes. He figured they were worried that he would be offended at the idea of being taught by someone with Itachi's reputation. Smiling, he nodded his head and turned to bow to Itachi.

"I look forward to learning under you, Itachi-sensei."

Tsunade nodded, almost sighing with relief. "In that case, you two can get started now. Itachi will be replacing Jiraiya as your mentor on missions that I put you in charge of, and will be the only one with the authority to veto your commands should he find your reasoning lacking. For now though, I think you've earned a bit of rest before your next mission."

Excited at the idea of getting back into training, Naruto grinned and followed Itachi out of the office and through the halls of the tower.

"While we are training, Naruto-kun," Itachi said as they exited the building and headed for one of the newly constructed training areas just outside the crystal walls surrounding the village. Naruto noted that there were more houses in varying stages of development and couldn't help but swell with pride. "Do you think you could also teach me this language of hand signs you developed to communicate silently?"

"Sure," Naruto replied, his voice still hoarse, though his throat was feeling slightly better. "But you can't use your Sharingan to learn it."

"Oh?" Itachi raised an eyebrow. "And why not?"

"It's cheating," Naruto stated. They arrived at the training area, nothing more than a fifty-foot diameter clearing with a small sign denoting a warning that shinobi would be practicing dangerous techniques here and to be careful. "When you can immediately learn something, you skip all the hard work it takes to master it, and therefore won't properly appreciate or fully understand it."

"But as a shinobi, should we not use every advantage we have to surpass our enemies?" Itachi countered.

"When facing an enemy, maybe, but that doesn't mean you should steal something your comrades have poured their heart and soul into developing only for you to learn it in an instant. Besides, I've seen Sasuke fight, and I can tell that there's a big difference between a copied technique and one that you take the time to properly master. That's why my shadow clones are only used to perfect a technique after I've properly understood it myself."

"You are certainly wiser than my little brother, Naruto-kun," Itachi said. He lowered his eyes to the ground, shame filling his eyes. "I fear that in my desire to protect him and ecourage him to grow strong enough to protect himself, I pushed him down a path that he cannot come back from."

"You're right," Naruto said bluntly, prompting Itachi to look up and lock eyes with him. "You encouraged him to hate, and use that hate to grow strong. I understand that you did not have any other option at the time, given that you could not tell him the truth, but it doesn't mean you aren't the source of his descent. But that doesn't mean you should blame yourself. Events outside of your control led up to you being issued that order, and torturing yourself over it isn't going to change anything. The only thing we can do is keep moving forward and work towards peace."

Itachi considered the young boy's words and found wisdom and reassurance that he did not expect to have stumbled upon. Slowly, he felt himself start to accept that, maybe, this was where he would find his second chance.

"In that case, why don't we get started on your training?"

They spent half the day working out the kinks in Naruto's newly acquired Swift Release, and Itachi started to see what Naruto meant by the value of learning something through hard work, if nothing else for the entertainment factor of watching the young blond constantly smash into the ground and surrounding trees while his clones studied and practiced his many other skills. Slowly, but surely, Naruto began to grasp the mechanics behind the enhanced Shunshin that was the center of the Swift Release's skills, and by the time they took a break, some of his clones had joined in sending themselves flying across the training area while others implemented their learnings in trying to master the Hiraishin.

The rest of the day, and well into the night, passed with Itachi helping Naruto with his kenjutsu skills. They sparred across the training field for hours, and while Itachi easily surpassed Naruto in skill, speed, and strength, he was impressed by his student's stamina, as every time he sent him sprawling across the ground, Naruto simply jumped back to his feet, the circle of clones watching them helping him improve at a remarkable rate.

The days passed quickly with Naruto and Itachi rising early and training until dinner where Naruto would join Tsunade, Shizune, Karin, and whatever of his friends were available at the time before settling down to sleep. He had increased his resistance seals and was jogging around the training area to get used to the new weight bearing down on him from all sides when Haku and Hinata joined him and Itachi with Kurenai following close behind.

Naruto grinned and sparred against the two while Itachi instructed Kurenai on how to improve her genjutsu in combat. He had just dodged a palm strike, diverting it with a pillar of earth raised by his foot when he was forced to block several ice senbon with his right arm.

"Your motions are off today, Naruto-kun," Haku observed, even as Naruto employed the swift release and swept her legs out from under her.

"Are you feeling alright?" Hinata asked. Itachi and Kurenai halted their own training to listen to him, and Naruto grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, I increased the weight by a bit more than usual, so it's still taking some time to get used to moving around properly again."

Kurenai raised an eyebrow, confused. "What are you talking about, Naruto-kun? The weight of what?"

"There are several seals along his body," Itachi said, his Sharingan active. "Judging by what he said, I wager that they're gravity seals."

"Close, Itachi-sensei," Naruto said with a foxy grin. "They're resistance seals."

"What are resistance seals?" Haku asked.

"They're seals I put on my body to make it harder to move," Naruto explained. "It's sorta like wearing weights at all times, but unlike gravity seals which increase the force of gravity on your body, resistance seals exert force on you in all directions, making it feel like the air is thicker and harder to move through. That way all my muscles get worked and I don't suffer from the side effects of having increased gravity weighing down on my muscles and spine."

"A-Ano, do you think we could use those?" Hinata asked shyly.

Naruto hummed and looked up in thought. "Maybe. You wouldn't be able to increase them at the same rate as me, since my healing rate and Dad's chakra encourage my muscles to repair and strengthen a lot fast than yours, but I don't see why I couldn't start you all on the first level and you could work your way up. Just make sure to deactivate them every once in a while to get used to moving without the weight so that you can control yourself in a fight."

Unsealing a bottle and ink from one of the storage seals on his body, Naruto instructed them all to expose their wrists, ankles, stomachs, and backs, prompting blushes from the three females among them, though he was oblivious to their embarrassment as he got to work on Itachi first.

He drew the seals on Itachi's body, and activated them. The ink flowed across Itachi's torso and limbs, forming black rings around his wrists, ankles, core, and neck. Itachi slowly raised in arm and noted that it felt as if he was wearing about twenty kilograms of weights all along his arm. He could feel the strain on each of the muscles needed to move his arm equally, taking the time to familiarize himself with the foreign sensation. He didn't _feel_ heavier, like the gravity seals some ANBU used to train themselves back when he was a captain, but it did take a noticeable increase in effort to move his body.

Naruto placed the same seals on the others, and Hinata fell flat on her face after attempting to take one step. Her face glowed crimson as she, Haku, and Kurenai slowly moved through various exercises to accustom themselves.

"You can increase the weight by adding to the rings around your bodies," Naruto explained. "The more ink you use, the more resistance you'll feel."

"How much weight do you have?" Kurenai asked as the rings of ink faded.

Naruto removed his robe and hung it from his staff which was standing in place nearby. His back to them, he channeled a little bit of chakra into his resistance seals to make them appear on his skin and glow slightly in order to contrast his matte black right arm.

Kurenai gasped, while Haku merely stared, her mouth hanging open, and Hinata fainted with a small trickle of blood flowing out of her nose, even Itachi raised an eyebrow, impressed. Covering Naruto's skin were a litany of swirling designs, ranging from creeping vines, to whirling tides, to flames and wind, among other things to create a mosaic of nature.

The designs were clearly incomplete as the marks on his arms only reached to just below his elbows, and those around his neck didn't pass his shoulder blades. He turned and they saw that the seal around his abdomen swirled and twisted around a separate seal on his stomach, slowly creeping out from the mark holding the beast he called father inside him, and trying to reach around his ribs and up to his shoulders.

Kurenai noted that the designs incorporated several of the scars covering Naruto's body, and felt herself heat up as they combined to give Naruto a sort of feral, warrior-like appearance. His body was a testament to the hardships he had lived through and surpassed and she couldn't help but start to imagine what it would feel like to have all that power pressed against her.

Haku's thoughts would have been very similar, had her mind not ceased functioning upon viewing Naruto's bared form, covered in scars and designs. His artificial arm gleamed in the sunlight, and only made him seem more dangerous as she watched each individual muscle move within it.

Canceling the flow of chakra, Naruto couldn't help but smirk at the reactions he had caused, a strange feral urge rising up in his chest as he saw how Haku and Kurenai's eyes roamed over his body. Squashing the feeling, he put his robe back on and turned back to Itachi as he drew Eclipse.

The days rapidly turned into weeks, and now that they had a relatively safe place to train, Tsunade decided it was time for her and Naruto to resume their weekly all-out training sessions. Naruto gulped as he looked between Tsunade, Itachi, Konan, and Kisame, and prepared himself for a world of hurt, while Kurenai, Anko, Tayuya, Haku, and Zabuza watched, when five powerful surges of chakra set all but him on edge. Out of the woods around the clearing walked Ryuzuka and Ryusanda, accompanied by three others whom Naruto presumed to be Ryukoho, Ryuhima and the boss of the wind dragons in their human form.

"Ryuzuka-sensei! Ryusanda-sensei! What are you doing here?"

"We've come to continue your training, Naruto-kun," Ryuzuka replied, a soft smile on her face.

The man to her left who Naruto guessed was Ryuhima crossed his arms and smirked. He had dark red and brown hair that stuck up wildly from his head, and, like Ryusanda, was dressed only in a pair of baggy pants tucked into a pair of brown leather boots. His bulging muscles were covered in tattoos depicting raging flames, and his eyes glowed red around his slitted pupils. "You didn't think you'd seen the last of us at that volcano, did ya, kid?"

A shorter, dark-skinned man, covered in a deep green shawl stepped forward. His eyes were squinted shut and his bright green dreadlocks clashed with the slow, purposeful way he moved. The ground shook slightly as he walked and Naruto thought it was safe to assume this was Ryukoho. "Your actions since signing our contract have brought honour upon the Dragon Clan. As such we five have found you fit to receive our training in the natural arts."

The last of the five was a youger woman who didn't look much older than Kurenai and Anko. She was dressed in baggy robes of green that moved like leaves in a breeze as she hopped forward to wave at him. "We haven't met yet, but I'm Ryukazi! I'm the boss of the wind dragons. I wanted to come help you out earlier, but these four sticks in the mud insisted we _test_ you. I'm gonna teach you how to be just like the leaf!" Seemingly just becoming aware of the other people watching the interactions, Ryukazi tilted her head and regarded Tsunade, Itachi, Kisame, and Konan with confusion. "Who are you?"

"I'm Naruto's mother," Tsunade said. "We were just about to begin our training with Naruto, actually. We were training him to fight when faced with insurmountable odds."

"Hmm, you four do seem rather strong, for humans," Ryukoho observed.

Kisame spun as Ryusanda appeared behind him, plucking Samehada off of his back with ease. "And they have some interesting equipment too," he said, raising the bandaged blade above his hand with ease to examine it before handing it back to Kisame.

The five dragons shared looks before turning back to Tsunade. "Very well," Ryuzuka said. "We will wait until you are finished, and then will take Naruto-kun for his lesson afterward."

"I'm not sure he's going to be in any sort of condition to learn after we're done with him," Kisame said with a smirk as he hefted Samehada.

To Naruto's credit, he did manage to last nearly five minutes, and scratch Tsunade's arm with a clever combination of clones, his new swift release, wood, and Eclipse's lightning chakra, but that proved to be his downfall as Tsunade broke out of her bindings and backhanded him into Kisame, cracking several ribs while Samehada devoured his chakra cloak with ease before Konan and Itachi pinned him with paper shuriken and a sword to the neck.

"Interesting," Ryukoho remarked as Konan pulled the projectiles out of Naruto's arm and legs while Tsunade began healing him. Dropping down, he and the other dragons approached the still-dazed Naruto. "Tell me, Naruto-san, why do you leave your staff behind while in battle."

"I haven't figured out how to use it in my fighting yet," Naruto groaned as Tsunade reset his dislocated hip. "There's something more to it, but I don't know what yet. At the moment, it's a convenient secondary chakra reserve as well as a tool to help me with figuring out how to manipulate natural energy."

"At least he can admit when he doesn't know what he's doing," Ryuhima noted with a snort.

"I worry about how he'll do when we spar against him, if he can barely last five minutes against those four," Ryusanda added.

No one debated the casual shot taken at the four strongest people within Uzu at the moment. They could all feel the sheer _power_ radiating off the personified dragons, and even one of them dwarfed all of them put together. Many of the people present couldn't help but worry for Naruto's safety.

"He'll learn quickly enough," Ryuzuka countered. "Now come, Naruto-kun, we will continue your training elsewhere."

Naruto groaned but nodded as he rose to his feet and followed the five dragons further into the woods around Uzu. They arrived at a cliff overlooking the turbulent ocean with plenty of space. Standing there, watching the tides was a tall, giant of a man garbed in black and gold samurai armor, with a twin pair of wicked-looking scimitars attached to his waist. His spiky, black hair fell down to the small of his back and he turned to reveal a pair of golden, slitted eyes underneath a thick-set brow. A jagged scar ran diagonally across his face from just above the left side of his mouth to his right eyebrow.

The five dragons kneeled before him and the man smiled as he regarded Naruto's bedraggled form.

"It's good to see you again, Naruto-kun."

Naruto bowed, but the smile on his face was at full foxiness as he returned the greeting. "Right back at ya, Owryudan-ojisan."

*(OoO)*

For once, Naruto's life started to develop something akin to a routine. His week generally consisted of spending the day training with Owryudan, Itachi, Ryuda, and one of the elemental dragons while his clones worked on studying and mastering his other techniques. His weekend sparring matches were made more intense by the fact that the dragons wanted a piece of the action as well, normally waiting until Tsunade and whoever elses she could find had beaten him into the dirt to heal him and do it all over again. Sundays were his personal days and he spent them with his friends and family, enjoying the time together. He finally treated both Hinata and Haku to their first dates and took Kurenai on her second, all of which he liked to consider were rousing successes, judging by the dopey grin and lipstick stains that followed them.

His missions remained relatively simple, usually consisting of joining Fujika, Yazawa, and Danzo in their mission to clean up and properly unite the Land of Fire under their banner. Danzo and Yazawa both took the opportunity to have their own hands in his training by having him face their shinobi and samurai in a variety of combat situations that more often than not ended with him hurting all over –though the number of victories was steadily rising. Yazawa also drilled him on his fuinjutsu, helping him improve his Hiraishin to the point where Naruto left a seal in every town he went to for ease of transportation, marking them on a map in his room.

His progress with the elements had improved as well, he had practically mastered Imada's teleportation technique using the swift release, and could transport himself anywhere within a two kilometer radius (though that proved to be rather taxing and inaccurate) so long as he could see where he was going. He much preffered this over the Hiraishin, as it gave him much more liberty in close range combat, being able to appear anywhere he wanted while in a fight. The dragons helped and guided him through his understanding and mastery of the basic elements, the balance they helped him achieve affecting more than just his fighting style, and Owryudan took Jiraiya's place as his senjutsu instructor while he was away maintaining their information network.

The others hadn't been letting up on their training either. Though not as rigorously as Naruto, the general strength of Uzu's shinobi force was on the rise, particularly after the people of Yume finally settled down within their walls.

Weeks passed and summer turned to fall. Hinata had come back from a mission in one of the nearby port villages, and had been hoping to spend some quality time with Naruto, only to find that he was nowhere in sight. She tried looking around the village and training areas for him, and had even tried contacting him through her voice seal, but had gotten no response. She knew that he wasn't on a mission, because she had spoken with him just a few days ago, though he had been noticeably more reserved than usual.

Out of ideas, she figured Tsunade would know where he might be. Uzu might not be all that big of a village yet, but the island that they called home was not exactly small. Climbing up the stairs, she knocked on the door to Tsunade's office and waited until she was permitted entry to open the door and bow.

"Ah, Hinata," Tsunade greeted. She was joined in the room by Itachi and Kurenai, who were sitting in the two chairs across from her. "I just finished speaking with Kiba and Shino. They told me that both their clans are in agreement about getting out of Konoha and joining us, so we can start making plans about how to get your friends out of there soon."

"That's wonderful news, Tsunade-sama, but I was actually here about another matter," Hinata said.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"I've looked all over the village, and can't find a single trace of Naruto-kun. I was wondering if maybe you knew where he was."

Tsunade sighed and sank into her chair. "It's that day already?" She asked to no one in particular.

"What day is that, Tsunade-sama?" Kurenai asked.

"You were there, Kurenai. What date is it today?"

"Ocober… tenth…" Kurenai muttered. "I guess today would be the day that he feels particularly badly."

"October tenth," Hinata pondered, her memory searching back for the significance of this particular date. "The day the Nine-Tails was defeated?"

"It's also the day that Naruto's biological parents died," Tsunade informed her. "As well as the day he was born."

Hinata gasped, and tears sprang up to her eyes. "I had heard that Naruto-kun was the son of the Fourth, and a newborn when the Nine-Tails was sealed in him, but I had no idea it had all happened on his birthday."

"Today has always been a difficult day for my son," Tsunade said gravely. "The mobs were always particularly vicious around this time of the year, so Naruto became very good at hiding, particulary after they took his arm and his voice. I've tried to find him before, but he's very good. I guess that's a skill when the people chasing you have both the Sharingan and the Byakugan at their disposal."

"I knew the mobs were the ones who tried to cripple him," Kurenai said quietly. "But I had no idea that it would have happened on his birthday."

"To think, the village I loved could do such a thing," Itachi muttered.

"Naruto won't talk about it, but I know he remembers the face of every person who has ever hurt him. I would sometimes see him stiffen and grab his arm or his throat when we were out in the village, but I could never pin down who it was that he saw. I'm sorry Hinata, but I can't help you find him. The best I can do is be here for when he eventually comes back."

Hinata choked back a sob and bowed before walking out of the office. No one should be alone on their birthday.

*(OoO)*

Naruto leaned against Ryuda and stared out at the ocean as he focused on separating his chakra. They were perched near the top of one of the mountains on the island, about a three hour hike from Uzu. He knew there was no more reason to run away and hide, but something told him that he needed to be alone, away from people. Ryuda didn't say a word, and Naruto took comfort in his friend's slow breathing while Kurama sent a feeling of comfort throughout his body. His shoulders stiffened as he heard a twig snap, but he allowed himself to relax once he felt the familiar chakra.

"I should've known you would find me," he croaked as Hinata stumbled out of the bushes.

"It's hard not to when your chakra is that easy to see," Hinata replied, deactivating her chakra as she watched the blue and red flames dance in the palm of his hands. Slowly, she took a seat next to him and watched as a third, green flame appeared in front of his forehead. All three flames moved to combine right where she knew his seal was and an extremely powerful chakra started to form inside of Naruto's body. He slowly gathered the chakra, only to gasp and reach out for his staff as his limbs started to turn to stone. The chakra drained into his staff and the petrification receded. They both breathed a sigh of relief, though Naruto's was understandably tinged with some frustration, and sat there staring out at the waves in silence for some time.

"I know you prefer to be alone on this day," Hinata began awkwardly. Her confidence had improved by leaps and bounds, particularly after Anko and Ryuzuka had both taken a liking to her, but she still found herself floundering at times, particularly where Naruto was concerned. "And that's fine, but I just wanted to make sure someone wished you a happy birthday."

"I don't think I've ever actually had anyone tell me that before."

"Well, we're all thinking it," Hinata said softly, taking his hands in her own. "You're the one who brought all of us together, Naruto-kun. Everyone in Uzu cares for you."

"Thank you, Ao-hime. That means a lot." Their faces slowly got closer and Hinata felt her cheeks warm as Naruto's lips pressed against hers. The kiss was slow and chaste, a gentle expression of emotion where words failed, yet Hinata still felt as if an explosion was rocking through her body as she sat there with her boyfriend, kissing under the stars.

They slowly separated, and Naruto smiled at the pink dusting her cheeks before something made him freeze and stiffen. He shot to his feet and activated his Kunshugan staring out towards the horizon.

"Naruto-kun? What's wrong?"

Naruto didn't reply, but rather vanished using his swift release. Hinata activated her Byakugan and focused her sight in the direction Naruto had been looking, gasping as she caught sight of the burning wreckage of a ship going down in the ocean. Naruto was there gathering as many survivors as he could, but there was a second ship full of unsavory looking men doing the same. She screamed as Naruto fought off the men while trying to protect the survivors only to take a cannonball to the sternum and get knocked into the water. The men continued their work, rounding up the terrified survivors before going on their way. Hinata scanned the ocean for any sign of Naruto, and yelped when he appeared next to her coughing and dripping water. In his arms was a girl wrapped in bandages, shaking as the water rolled off of her.

Reaching his hand out, Naruto's staff flew to help support him as he lifted himself to his feet. "Grab hold," he rasped, the authority in his voice brokering no argument. Hinata did as told and a moment later, they were all inside the Hokage's office.

"Naru-kun!" Tsunade shouted as she leapt to her feet and caught her son. She immediately started to heal him but he shook her off.

"Don't. Dad's already got me covered. Help her."

Reluctantly, Tsunade turned her attention to the bandaged girl in his arms. Her eyes were clenched shut behind her messy purple hair and she shook violently as Tsunade passed a diagnostic jutsu over her.

"She's in shock. Just give her some time."

Naruto nodded and took a deep breath, his lungs now recovered from the earlier impact, before chanelling his fire chakra through his body, evaporating the remaining water on the two of them and slowing the girl's tremors.

Opening her eyes slowly, panic immediately filled the girl's eyes as she pushed away from Naruto and attempted to escape, only to be caught once more.

"Get away!" She screamed.

"Hey," Naruto whispered bringing the girl close and channeling out his calming aura. "It's okay, we're not going to hurt you."

The girl slowly calmed down under the soothing influence of Naruto's chakra and turned her black eyes on each of them in turn. "W-who are you people?"

"My name is Tsunade, I'm the Hokage of Uzu," Tsunade introduced herself. "That's Naruto, I assume he's the one who rescued you from whoever was attacking you."

"My name is Isaribi," the girl replied. "I was stowing away on a boat when the slavers from the Land of Water attacked us."

"What can you tell us about these slavers?"

"They've been going around the Land of Water and the surrounding countries rounding people up to sell to the highest bidder. If they manage to find any with a bloodline, they sell them to the Mizukage so he can execute them unless the rebels manage to pay their ransom. No one really knows where they came from, but with the chaos in the Land of Water, they've been able to take over a huge amount of the islands."

Naruto growled at the idea of anyone doing something so cruel and turned to look at his mother pleadingly. Tsunade sighed at the look in her son's eyes and her shoulders slumped.

"There's no stopping you is there?"

"Not a chance," Naruto growled. "If there are people being stolen from their homes and sold, I'm going to put a stop to them."

"You can't!" Isaribi exclaimed. "Rumor has it that the Mizukage himself is backing them! And with the Water Daimiyo dead and his son missing, the Mizukage is the ruling power in the Land of Water, going up against him is suicide!"

"Doesn't matter," Naruto replied. "I can't stand by and do nothing while people are being sold like cattle. You'll be safe here in Uzu anyway, so there's no need to worry."

Isaribi looked like she wanted to argue, but something in Naruto's eyes made her hold her tongue.

"Fine, go on your suicide mission. But if you are going, I want to go too. There's someone on that boat who was taken that I'd like to get back."

Naruto shrugged. "That's fine with me. Mom, can you assemble a squad for me? I have a feeling this one is going to take some time."

Tsunade nodded and Naruto left to go prepare himself. Hinata turned to leave as well, but was stopped when Tsunade called her name. "Hinata, could you hold on a moment? I have something I need to discuss with you as well."

Within an hour Itachi, Zabuza, Haku, and Tayuya were all gathered in Tsunade's office with Naruto and Isaribi. "I have a mission for you five. It has come to my attention that slavers are operating within the Land of Water. Their proximity to us invites unwanted attention to Uzu, and as part of the Coalition we cannot allow such an act to stand. As such, you five are ordered to track down the headquarters of these monsters, free as many prisoners as possible and put an end to their operation. As this is not a payed mission, you each will have the secondary mission of gathering any and everything you find of value to Uzu, both material and otherwise, and bring them back. Naruto will be the one in command while Itachi will be taking a supervisory role, intervening only when necessary. You each have one hour to prepare before leaving from the eastern shore of the island."

The five shinobi snapped to attention and departed to gather their things. Isaribi was impressed by their efficiency and an hour and half later they were all gathered at the eastern end of the island. Naruto handed her a pack containing food, weapons, and various other things, before moving into his wood style and creating a decent sized boat for them all. He stood at the helm while everyone else grabbed a paddle he had made and pushed them out towards the turbulent waters.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto channeled the natural energy in his staff, which lay strapped across his back, and manipulated the water underneath them as well as the air to propel them at speeds no boat could possibly reach, making sure to focus on keeping the two chakras separate as opposed to accidentally creating an iceberg around them. The sky was just turning grey in the east when the first island came into view. They kept moving towards it for another half hour before Naruto channeled his swift release and instantly brought them all to the shore.

He stumbled slightly from the exertion, but quickly recovered with Kurama's help and turned to the others as they walked out of the shallow waves onto the beach. The boat was quickly destroyed to hide their presence and Naruto took the time to address Isaribi as they started making their way inland.

"What can you tell me about the Land of Water?" He asked.

"Not a lot," Isaribi replied. "I'm from the Land of Sea. The boat I was on just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time as we were making our way to the Land of Fire."

Naruto nodded, stowing that information away for later. He then turned to Zabuza and Haku, hoping they could give him something more useful.

"The country is mostly composed of several island states who are fairly self-sufficient," Zabuza said. "Due to this, the Land of Water is almost always caught in some form of civil war. Because of the amount of bloodline users that would frequently fight in the wars, the country has turned against them, thinking that they're responsible. The Mizukage has an extermination order out against anyone found to have a bloodline and the people are usally all too happy to help out. There's a small group of rebels fighting to bring an end to them, but they're seriously outmatched."

"Because of the chaos within the country, bandits and the like are everywhere," Haku added. "We're going to have to be especially cautious around them."

Naruto nodded and considered his options before replying. "It seems that if anyone would know where to find our targets, it would be the rebels. If we can convince them to help us find the slavers, we might be able to infiltrate their base before they sell off their latest group of prisoners."

"Why do I have a feeling he's about to involve us in a civil war?" Tayuya grumbled, prompting Haku and Zabuza to chuckle.

"Because it wouldn't be Naruto otherwise," Haku replied.

 **A/N: There we go, firing on all cylinders as we blast right into the next arc. We'll find out what Tsunade wanted Hinata for, as well as the identity of Isaribi's friend in the next chapter as well as have things quickly spiral and escalate as they tend to do whenever Naruto is involved. Also, we'll see more evidence of how much Naruto has improved over the last couple months and eventually get a few flashbacks to see his training with the other three dragons and Owryudan. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing, and I'll see you next time!**


	28. Chapter 28

"So let me get this straight," Jiraiya said. "You sent Naruto to the Land of Water, knowing full well that there's a holocaust going on there?"

"That's correct," Tsunade replied. She, Jiraiya, Danzo, Yazawa, and Fujika were seated around a table in Fujika's house in Nagakita, discussing current events, and Tsunade had just informed them of Naruto's most recent mission.

"You are aware that if he gets within a mile of that conflict, we're all going to find ourselves entangled in another country's civil war, correct?" Danzo asked.

"I am," Tsunade replied. "But we aren't just shinobi of the Land of Fire anymore. We're also the first members of Naruto's Coalition, and I saw an opportunity to extend our influence into the Land of Water by having Naruto entangle himself with their affairs. If he finds the rebels to be decent allies, then so will we, and with the Lands of Earth, Lightning, and Wind stirring up, as well as Hiashi still working to expand Konoha's influence, we can use all the allies we can get, particularly if they come from another Great Nation."

"Speaking of Hiashi, what news do you have on that front?" Yazawa asked.

"I've sent Hinata, Kurenai, Anko, and Konan to find a way to infiltrate Konoha and make contact with the Inuzuka and Aburame clans. Hiashi's forces are spread thin at the moment as he tries to bring the surrounding villages and towns under his thumb, so they shouldn't have too much trouble finding a way in. Once they do, they will begin creating an escape plan for those clans and anyone else they can find that wants out of Konoha, and once Naruto has come back from the Land of Water, we can get to work on evacuating them."

"So you want Naruto to lead the charge in this mass exodus," Danzo remarked.

Tsunade nodded. "Naruto is the face of this Coalition. If he is the one seen leading the charge in what would normally be politically charged situations, it will show people that the Coalition is not working for any one country."

"Are you not worried that his growing reputation will attract unwanted attention?" Fujika asked.

"I am, but Uzu alone has several high-ranking shinobi at our disposal, not counting Yazawa-dono's samurai. On top of that, Naruto's strength is growing by the day. The people Naruto brings together under the banner of peace actually want to follow him, and I'm confident that when his enemies come knocking, he won't be facing them alone."

*(OoO)*

Naruto grunted and dropped to the ground as yet another barrage of shuriken flew out of the mist surrounding them. They had stopped outside a nearby village where Zabuza said there used to be a rebel base and were making camp when a thick mist had rolled through and enveloped them, making it impossible to see more than two feet in front of them. The Land of Water was known for its thick, unpredictable clouds of mist, but they had all snapped into action regardless as Naruto, Zabuza, and Haku were more than familiar with this technique, Tayuya and Itachi following their lead.

The second they moved, the attack commenced weapons and jutsu flying over their heads through the thick mist. Zabuza and Haku immediately went to work, having the most experience fighting within the Hidden Mist Technique, and dispatched many of their attackers quickly while Naruto summoned Ryuda to fight with him and Tayuya stood by Itachi, directing her Doki wherever Itachi sensed a target.

Ryuda snarled and the plates of his armor clanged together as he swung his tail, breaking the spine of an approaching shinobi. His senses were the sharpest of them all, and he had no trouble smelling and hearing where their enemies were through the thick mist, especially after practicing with Zabuza, who was a master with the technique and could almost completely hide his presence within the mist. Naruto lowered into his earth stance and drew his staff from his back, he focused his senses on the vibrations of the ground beneath him and the flowing of the water in the air around him. He spun his staff, knocking away an approaching kunai before knocking his heel on the ground, throwing his attacker off their feet with a small pillar of rock beneath their feet and swinging his staff into the man's face, knocking him out as he fell.

The mist cleared in minutes, and the group found themselves completely surrounded by shinobi, all of whom had their weapons trained on Naruto and his group. Naruto noted the Kiri headbands they wore, as well as the way they were ignoring their injured comrades on the ground, and raised his hand to tell his friends to stand down.

"Alright, we'll make this real simple," one of the shinobi said as he stepped forward. "You give us Zabuza and the Yuki bitch and we let you leave with all of your limbs."

"Now what could a group of respectable shinobi such as you want with them?" Naruto asked, his voice ringing with the chakra he pumped into his throat.

"Zabuza Momochi is an A-Rank Missing-Nin, in possession of one of the Seven Legendary Blades, and guilty for harboring a member of the Yuki Clan."

Fighting down his anger, Naruto put even more effort into maintaining his calm façade. "You'll have to forgive me, Shinobi-san, for I'm not from around these parts, but why exactly is Kiri after the members of the Yuki Clan specifically?"

"The Yuki Clan is one of many clans Mizukage-sama has ordered be exterminated due to their filthy bloodlines tainting the Land of Water, and bringing nothing but destruction upon her people." The shinobi surrounding them all had different expressions of sadistic pride upon their faces as they shouted their agreement to this particular order.

Haku looked around at the many faces of fanatical hate surrounding them and felt an inkling of fear creep down her spine until Zabuza put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. She smiled up at him, only to frown when she felt the power surging off of Naruto in waves as he faced the leader of the Kiri shinobi.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to take issue with that," Naruto growled as smirks and chuckling rang through the crowd. "You see, Sekki-chan and Zabuza are shinobi of Uzu, and as such, members of the United Elemental Coalition. That means that they are under my protection, as well as the protection of the Hokage, Fire Daimiyo, Shogun and Hikari."

"Really?" Asked the leader of the Kiri shinobi. "It's too bad all those fancy titles don't mean shit when you're completely surrounded. Now give us the girl and the traitor or we'll take them."

Naruto growled once more and channeled his chakra, he drew Eclipse and a moment later all the surrounding shinobi were on the ground dead or incapacitated. "I would like to think that this more than proves that we're not on their side!" Naruto shouted into the trees. "I even spared you a few for interrogation, so if you could please come out and speak to me face to face, that would be greatly appreciated."

He deactivated his Kunshugan, preferring to reveal that until he had to, and raised Eclipse just in time to block a sword that was going to be pointed at his neck while various other shinobi burst out of the treeline to point kunai at his companions' throats and gather prisoners. The man holding the blade to his throat had blue hair that stuck up and an eye batch covering his right eye. His stern frown made him look older than he was and the unusal chakra coursing through him was indicative of what side of the civil war he was on, even if the Kiri headband he wore wasn't.

"State your names and what you're intentions are within the Land of Water."

"I would have thought I already did that when I was defending my friends," Naruto replied flippantly. "Maybe you've met the big guy before?"

Zabuza shifted and raised his sword to move the kunai away from his throat. "It's alright, Ao, I'm with them."

"So it really is you," Ao replied. "What's a deserter like you doing back here, Zabuza?"

"Geez, do _any_ of us have people who don't hate us from our pasts?" Tayuya asked, prompting a chuckle from Haku and Isaribi and a contemplative look from Itachi who seemed completely at ease with the Kunai pressed against his neck.

"I'm pretty sure that ship sailed when I slaughtered my clan."

"People from the Land of Sea think I'm a monster, so…" Isaribi added with a shrug.

"And you heard those guys, my clan's blood is 'tainted'," Haku concluded. "But at least we've got each other."

Tayuya chuckled and turned her attention back to the three-way staring contest between Ao, Naruto, and Zabuza.

"We're here on the trail of some slavers who attacked a boat from the Land of Sea, we were hoping you would be able to help us find them," Naruto said.

Ao turned his attention back to Naruto and scowled. "That's not for me to decide. Come on, we're taking them back to camp."

"Guess you're intel was right, Zabuza," Naruto quipped as they were led through the woods and towards the village. "Mostly, anyway."

"Hey, don't blame me, when I left, this place was firmly in the rebel's territory." They looked around as they passed through the village, scenes of destruction and abject poverty at every turn. "Ao, what happened here?"

"The Mizukage happened." They were met by a tall, buxom woman with long orange-brown hair and youthful face. She was dressed in a flowing blue dress overtop of chain-mesh, and had her arms crossed as she regarded them dispassionately. Ao and the other rebels bowed respectfully to her and she nodded in response. "Take the Kiri-nin away. I want to speak with Zabuza and his… friends."

The woman led them away from the rest of the group, stopping occasionally to speak to the villagers, or hand out a piece of food to a passing child. They made their way to the center of the village where an old, rundown Inn barely stood. Naruto could see rotting wood all over its walls and the ceiling had several holes in it. Combined with the poorly boarded up windows, Naruto could tell that it had been a long time since hospitable was an adjective attributed to this building.

They were led inside, past a bar where several wounded shinobi greeted her, addressing the woman as their captain, and into a cellar in the back where an old desk and chair had been set up. Taking a seat, the woman eyed them each individually, her green eyes sharp as she inspected them from head to toe.

"So, Zabuza, what could possibly bring you back here with Itachi Uchiha of all people as well as several other shinobi from the Land of Fire, and if what our scouts saw is correct, a member of the Yuki Clan?"

"It's nice to see you too, Mei," Zabuza muttered. "As for that, I'm here under orders of the Hokage, on a mission with my fellow Uzu-nin to find and eliminate whoever is running the slaving operation coming out of here."

Mei narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean Uzu-nin? Uzu was destroyed a long time ago, I should know."

"That one's a long story," Zabuza replied. "And it's probably better if you hear it directly from the one who rebuilt Uzu." He nodded his head towards Naruto, who smiled sheepishly as Mei narrowed her gaze upon him.

"You're saying he's the one who rebuilt Uzu?"

"That's correct," Naruto croaked. He dropped his boyish charm for a moment as he introduced himself properly. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, Head of the Uzumaki and Namikaze Clans, Heir to the Senju Clan, Biological Son of the Fourth Hokage, Son of the Fifth Hokage, and Founder of the United Elemental Coalition of Nations."

Mei's eyes widened at the litany of titles the boy in front of her bore, before smirking as she saw an opportunity arise. "I've never heard of this United Coalition before, what is it?"

"It's my attempt to bring a little peace to the world in a time of chaos," Naruto replied.

"And now you're here to bring the Land of Water under your banner? That's fairly ambitious for someone so young."

Naruto shook his head. "Operating under the banner of the Coalition is completely voluntary. Our purpose here is exactly as Zabuza said: to find these slavers and put an end to their operations."

"And what will you do when you finish your mission?" Mei asked.

"That depends," Naruto replied.

"On what?"

"On how well you do to convince me to support your little rebellion."

"Told you so," Tayuya muttered. Haku smirked and Itachi elbowed her to shut her up.

Mei narrowed her eyes. "And what makes you think I would try to recruit you and your friends?"

Naruto shrugged. "Well if not, then just give us any information you have on the slavers and we'll be on our way."

"Information has a cost."

"I'd like to think the twelve prisoners I provided you would more than cover the cost of any information you have."

Mei smirked. "You seem strangely comfortable to be standing here, in the middle of a village surrounded by potential enemies, making demands."

"I've been surrounded by potential enemies since the day I was born. You, on the other hand, seem like the one who is on edge."

"What makes you say that?" Mei asked.

"You're tense, like you're expecting an attack at any moment. But unlike your men, you keep a calm façade and think things through, which is why you sent that man with the implanted Byakugan to capture us while you held back and watched us. This is one of the smaller islands within the Land of Water, and judging by Zabuza's reaction, it used to be your territory, and the Mizukage's men are the ones responsible for its decrepit state. Add that to the battle I can sense happening on the north side of town, and I'd wager that we're both sitting in the middle of enemy territory."

Mei's eyes widened at the accuracy of Naruto's deductions and her shoulders slumped. "You're right. The leader of the rebellion isn't my biggest fan, and sent me and my squad here to try and take back this village. We all know it's a suicide mission, this village isn't even that important strategically, but so long as it gets me out of his hair so he can keep fighting his losing war against the Mizukage, he's fine with that. My clan has been almost entirely wiped out. I had to watch as my sister was beheaded in public by the Mizukage for being a member of the Terumi clan. I've seen cities torn apart because they are used as battlegrounds. All I want to do is put an end to the fighting and see Kiri and the Land of Water return to a place where people can live in peace."

Naruto considered her words for a moment, and turned to look at his companions. Itachi was impassive, while Haku and Zabuza seemed determined to help already. Tayuya had a look of mock resignation on her face as she waved him off, and Naruto couldn't help but smile, while Isaribi looked close to tears at the idea of people facing so much persecution.

"Alright, Mei, how about a deal?" Mei's eyebrow rose and she motioned for him to continue. "We help each other. It's clear that the slavers we were instructed to deal with are just a symptom of the bigger problem, but Isaribi here has someone that was taken by them, so we need to find them, fast. Help us find Isaribi's friend and save him, then we'll help you rout the Kiri shinobi on this island. Afterwards, we'll discuss whether or not to continue this joint venture."

Mei immediately shot to her feet and held her hand out. "You have a deal, Naruto-kun! The Terumi and the Uzumaki used to be close, it will be nice to see them working together again."

Naruto shook her hand and grinned before unsealing his ink and brush. "If we're going to be working together, I have someone else I think would like to join in the fun." He drew a quick Hiraishin seal, having gotten quite proficient with them and vanished, reappearing on top of the Hokage Tower in Uzu. A quick scan later and he transported himself to the Ichiraku's new restaurant where Kisame and Shizune were sitting across from each other, enjoying a single bowl of ramen.

"Naruto-kun," Shizune exclaimed. "What are you-"

"I need to borrow Kisame to fight in a civil war, tell Mom I love her, bye!"

And an instant later, Naruto and a stunned Kisame were standing back in Mei's office, a noodle still hanging from Kisame's mouth.

Mei stared wide-eyed as she now had two of the Seven Ninja Swordsman standing before her, Kisame being instantly recognisable as he dressed similarly to Itachi.

"Oy, brat! The hell are you doing?" He shouted as he slurped up his noodles and glared at Naruto.

"Wanna fight in a civil war?" Naruto asked.

Just like that, the anger faded from Kisame's expression and a feral grin took its place. "You had me at fight."

*(OoO)*

The battle on the north side of the city was not going well for the Rebels, as they were slowly pushed closer and closer towards the rundown homes of the village civillians. The villagers had welcomed the Rebels back, hoping that their presence meant that they might not be forced to live under the heel of the Kiri forces stationed there any longer, but the fighting had been long and bloody as the Rebels managed to expunge the forces stationed within the city, only to be regularly attacked and beaten back if they got too close to the surrounding forests. It didn't take long to figure out that the Kiri forces had abandoned the city in favour of pinning the Rebels down in one place.

This time it finally seemed like the enemy was going to break through their defensive line and sack the village, despite many of the rebels using an assortment of different bloodlines and advanced techniques. The enemy was simply too numerous, bolstered by the fact that the samurai of the Land of Water occasionally aided them if it was in the name of purging the bloodlines.

Mei arrived just in time to see dozens of shinobi and samurai burst out of the trees for one final push, and flashed through several seals before spitting out a torrent of lava over their heads. The men at the front of the attack were easily caught in the wave of molten rock, but the others easily jumped back to the treeline and regrouped, waiting for the lava to cool before charging again. Mei scowled as she watched multiple jutsu fly from the forest towards the homes her men were protecting only to ram into a wall made of solid crystal. The wall held firm, and she watched amazed as Naruto walked calmly towards the front line.

Mist rolled around him, filling the space between the two forces, and an eery song played on an unseen flute filled the air, giving him a mysterious aura. She watched as Naruto raised his hands and the lava raised with it, forming into two, large shuriken made of molten rock that spun fast enough to blur and look like twin wheels floating by his side. The remaining lava cooled and the enemy seemed to finally gather their nerve and charge him. Naruto smirked and danced around his opponents, the molten wheels cutting down swathes of their men at a time, while within the mist, Haku, Zabuza, and Kisame went to work, taking out the remaining forces who were all frozen by Tayuya's genjutsu. Itachi landed next to Mei and she tore her eyes away to look at the infamous killer of the Uchiha Clan.

"Why aren't you helping?" She asked as Itachi watched Naruto intently.

"Hokage-sama ordered for me to only help if absolutely needed. She is trying to help Naruto grow into the leader he needs to be if he wants to bring peace to the Elemental Nations."

Mei considered that as she turned her attention back to Naruto, who had forgone the lava shuriken and was now manipulating the mist around him, condensing it into a stream of water that he moved with his body to take out the remaining enemies while her forces watched in awe. She wanted to cry out as several shinobi burst from the mist behind him, but he handled them easily. Kicking his leg to intercept the first with a pillar of stone to the chest, before jumping and spinning in the air to launch the tip of it into the temple of a second with another kick, and finishing up with a sweep along the ground that created a wave of fire, taking out the remaining ambushers.

"I've never seen anyone fight like he does. Especially not a lava release user. Come to think of it, how does an Uzumaki have access to the lava release?"

"You will have to ask him that yourself," Itachi replied as the mist faded revealing a smirking Kisame near the treeline while Haku and Zabuza were nearby standing over a fallen shinobi and Tayuya stood behind Naruto her mouth still over her flute. The area between the village was littered with the fallen bodies of their enemies and Mei noted that Naruto seemed particularly unfazed surrounded by so much death. He turned back to the people and one by one both villagers and rebels alike started clapping and cheering until the entire village was filled with the roar of happiness.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Naruto shouted, his chakra enhancing his voice. Silence fell upon the crowd and he glared at them sternly. "In case you haven't noticed, we are still surrounded on all sides by the enemy! So save your celebrating for after you have accomplished your mission to free this island from the Mizukage's control and get back to work! I want to see walls and defenseable positions all around this village! You may think you've been given a suicide mission, or busy work as some sort of punishment, but that is no reason to stop fighting for the freedom of your people!"

Like magic, the people who just this morning had reluctantly dragged them selves to the north side of the village, resigned to most likely facing their deaths were roused into action once more and the village was suddenly filled with the sound of activity as various walls of earth and stone sprung up around the perimeter of the village while other shinobi congregated near the Inn awaiting further orders.

Mei hurried back to the Inn and happily started dishing out orders for the various shinobi and villagers suddenly looking for work, and soon enough, everyone was working to either improve the fortifications or help rebuild the village.

Naruto was waiting for her in her office when she arrived and Mei couldn't help but smirk at the relaxed teenager sitting there in the place of the charismatic leader she had just seen on the battlefield.

"You certainly know how to inspire the masses," she remarked as she took her seat at her desk.

Naruto shrugged and scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "I just figured that they would do better working to improve their defences than cheering over surviving one attack."

"Yes, well you certainly accomplished that. Now, about your little slaver problem. You may just be in luck. My scouts saw one of their ships approaching the neighbouring island, just across the Shallow Sea."

"That's good," Naruto replied. "We'll be going there tonight. You're free to come too if you would like. I'm sure there are plenty of disgruntled citizens who would rather back your cause than the man who allows those slavers to operate within his country."

Mei smirked and nodded before they both stood to prepare for their mission.

After some food and sleep, Naruto and the others gathered in the forest west of the village where Mei and Ao were waiting. They were silent as they ran through the forest, Ao's Byakugan helping them to avoid any Kiri patrols as they made their way northwest to the edge of the island. Once there, Naruto instructed everyone to grab hold of him and teleported them to the other shore across the water. There was a crash as they all landed strewn across the beach, and Naruto smiled sheepishly once they had regrouped.

"Sorry, still working on my accuracy over long distances."

Mei led the way through the jungles of the island, a contrast to the thick forest covering its counterpart across the water. The air was humid and stuffy as they circled the island slowing down when the sound of music and raucous laughter filled the air. They crept closer to the distant firelight and Naruto spied about sixty men laughing and drinking while roughly the same number sat huddled in a massive cast iron cage.

"That's them," Isaribi whispered. "Those are the people from the ship I was on."

Naruto nodded and watched closely as a large man with a sword and a club strung across his back stood up to address his fellow slavers. He was easily taller than Kisame, and his bare chest was covered in hair, while grime covered the rest of him. Naruto extended his senses and noticed that he had a chakra signature comparable to most jonin while the few men who were above average were only as impressive as high level genin at best. Racking his brain, Naruto tried to remember if he had seen the man's face in the Bingo Book before, but couldn't tell behind the grime and thick, scraggly beard.

"A toast!" The man shouted. "To another fine haul! Those freaky priests have promised us a heft sum, lads, so be prepared to celebrate accordingly when we get back to Kiri!"

The men all cheered and Naruto narrowed his eyes turning to glare at Mei.

"Their base is in Kiri?" He whispered.

Mei smirked happily at the scowl on his face. "I guess we're going to be working together after all, eh, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed, at least he had been conned into fighting on the side he supported. It would be terribly awkward working for the people supporting the slavers he was after. Letting go of his frustration he turned to his team and started signing orders before whispering them to Mei.

It didn't take terribly long to wipe out the majority of the slavers, considering none of them could compete with a group like theirs. The leader, along with a handful of others fled into the forest, but Naruto ordered the others to let them go, their real goal being the people imprisoned within the cage.

"Please," one woman begged. "Help us."

Naruto smiled comfortingly and bent some water out of the air, waving his hand to make it cut the lock off the cage and free the prisoners. "Stay quiet and follow us," he ordered as they led the group back towards the shore. It took considerably longer to reach the beach they had arrived on, and that was made even more difficult by the fact that Kiri patrols on this island kept getting in their way again.

Daybreak was fast approaching once they reached the beach facing the other island and Naruto turned to Mei.

"How shallow is this Shallow Sea?"

"No more than thirty feet," Mei replied. "These two islands are actually one island connected under water by what used to be a mountain."

"What happened to the mountain?" Tayuya asked.

"The Mizukage. He's currently the jinchuriki of the Three-Tails and he transformed into the beast and destroyed the mountain near the start of the rebellion."

Naruto filed that away for later and turned to the crowd. "I need everyone to gather as closely together as possible!" He called.

The crowd did as told and he took position ahead of them. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the water and began waving his arms, splitting the waves in two to create an opening for him to keep walking. The prisoners followed him as he walked forward, the hole in the current closing behind them to create a buuble of air around them as they crossed the Shallow Sea. Sweat dripped down Naruto's brow, and his arms burned as he kept moving over the next kilometer and a half. Kurama helped by channeling his chakra to Naruto's muscles, lessening the pain and replenishing his stamina while Naruto focused on manipulating the natural energy in the waves around them, using his staff's as a medium.

About an hour later, they reached the opposite shore, and Naruto gasped in exhaustion, leaning heavily on his staff while Haku and Tayuya ran forward to help him. Naruto thanked them both as they threw his arms over their shoulders and half dragged him back to the village while Zabuza, Kisame, Mei, and Ao moved to protect each side of the group. The sun was high in the sky when they arrived in the village and Naruto was taken to a room at the Inn to rest for a bit and relieve his muscles.

It didn't take long for him to recover and he was back downstairs, scarfing down whatever the Innkeeper put in front of him as their little group was joined by two men. The first was a dark-haired man in his late twenties who sat close to Isaribi. Naruto watched him move and the way he spoke, and discerned that whoever he was, he occupied a position of power at some point, though his non-existant chakra signature told him it was not one granted to him through martial prowess.

The second man was quite a bit older and from the village. He was bald with a long, white beard that blended into the worn, cream-coloured robes. There was a slight hunch in his shoulders from his age, but Naruto sensed a hidden well of power behind his gentle exterior.

"Naruto, this is Elder Yoneda," Mei pointed to the second man who nodded to Naruto in greeting. "He's a priest in the Temple of Ameterasu that's on this island."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Elder," Naruto said respectfully, standing and bowing to the man.

The elder inclined his head once more and held his hand out to Naruto who grabbed it and allowed the man to pull him up. Yoneda held his hand, the black metal cold against his worn, wrinkled skin. "It's as I thought, you possess the gifts of Ameterasu-sama."

The others turned to look at Naruto curiously as he pulled his hand back and addressed the other man seated next to Isaribi. "And who are you?" He asked, changing the subject.

The younger man smiled and inclined his head. "My name's Kitani, my father was the Daimiyo of the Land of Water."

Silence filled the bar as they all looked at the self-proclaimed prince until Kisame and Tayuya exploded into fits of laughter, shattering the tension.

"Oh, this is too good!" Tayuya screeched. "You're just some sort of magnet for this kinda shit, ain't you?"

Naruto rolled his eyes and turned back to Kitani. "How does the prince of the Land of Water end up on a ship sailing from the Land of Sea to the Land of Fire before being taken prisoner by slavers?"

Kitani sighed and looked at the table sadly. "When my father died, the country fell into chaos. I was forced to go into hiding as I tried to make it to the Land of Fire to ask for help from Fujika-hime. I was hiding out in the Land of Sea when I ran into Isaribi-chan here and saw how horribly she was treated. After some convincing, I managed to smuggle her onto the ship I was taking, but, well, you know the rest."

"What about the samurai?" Mei asked. "Why haven't they been helping you instead of assisting Yagura in his slaughter?"

"Our last Shogun was killed by Yagura," Kitani explained. "Technically, they follow him now."

"But he's not even a swordsman!" Zabuza growled.

"Here, here," Kisame agreed.

"Please, I beg you," Kitani said, dropping to his knees and pressing his forehead to the floor. "Help my country! I cannot stand to see such suffering in the streets, and this feeling of helplessness is surely killing me!"

Naruto crouched down and helped Kitani to his feet, smiling reassuringly. "I swear that I and the Elemental Coalition of Nations will do whatever we can to take down Yagura and end the fighting within the Land of Water."

"Thank you, Naruto-san," Kitani said. "You truly do live up to what your comrades have told me about you. Now, if you don't mind, I think that I'm going to go see if there's anything I can help with around the village."

With that, he and Isaribi stood up and left, leaving them with Elder Yoneda, who slowly stood to his feet as well.

"I'm sorry about the interruption, Yoneda-domo," Naruto said, bowing. "But the less people who know about my interactions with Ameterasu-sama, the better."

Yoneda waved off his apology and smiled. "Think nothing of it, my boy. I can tell that you have a tactically brilliant mind, and must have your reasons, though I fear that the time has come for you to embrace your blessing and actin Ameterasu-sama's name."

"What do you mean?"

"Across the Shallow Sea lies the temple of Jashin, a cruel god with equally cruel followers. They are expecting a visit from one of their own, a man by the name of Hidan, who has been given the gift of immortality through Jashin's blessing and the priests foul experimentation. I believe that they plan on creating even more immortal soldiers, though that has been delayed due to you robbing them of their sacrifices. Clearly, you being here is more than mere chance. You must get to the temple on the other island and do away with Hidan and the evils within that temple in Ameterasu's name."

"He's right, Naruto-kun," Itachi said, surprising Naruto and the others. "Hidan is a member of the Akatsuki, and he is immortal."

"He's part of the Zombie Brothers," Kisame added. "He and his partner are virtually impossible to kill. I've seen Hidan's head be taken clean off and he still survived. On top of that, if he manages to so much as get a drop of your blood, he can link your body to his and kill you by hurting himself."

"How are we supposed to fight someone like that?" Tayuya asked. "He sounds unstoppable."

"I'm afraid, only the one carrying Ameterasu-sama's blessing can defeat the followers of Jashin," Yoneda said gravely. "Her blessing will protect him as he fights, and imbue him with the power to defeat this man and his fellow followers."

"Even if Ameterasu-sama protects him from Hidan's technique, he'd still be fighting against an S-Ranked criminal on par with myself or Itachi," Kisame said.

"We'll deal with that when we get to it," Naruto announced. "Thank you informing me, Elder, and I will be sure to do this for Ameterasu-sama, if for no other reason than to give a small thanks to her for saving me. But at the moment we need to focus on liberating _this_ island before even considering the other."

Yoneda nodded and bowed to them all. "Come see me before you go into battle, Naruto-kun, I believe I may have something for you." Naruto nodded and Yoneda turned to leave while the rest of them got to business. Mei grabbed a map of the island and spread it out on the table in front of them.

"Near as we can tell, the Kiri-nin are holed up in bunkers at each cardinal point of the island. We've tried attacking the north one, but they are extremely well defended and practically impregnable in a full frontal assault."

"This is your first war, isn't it Mei-san?" Naruto asked sympathetically.

Mei flinched and looked around the room. "I was assigned to some easier missions near the end of the first one, but I've never had my own command, no. I've just been following the same battle plans that the Rebellion's leader uses."

"That's okay," Naruto said reaching out and squeezing her shoulder. "Your men respect you and follow your orders, and now you have us here to help you with the more strategic side of things." Mei smiled at the reassurance and motioned her hand to let him have the floor. "Mei's findings prove that we are outnumbered, outmatched, but not outmaneuvered. The enemy expects open war, which means that we can take them out by fighting smarter where they fight stronger. Mei, I'm going to need a list of every man's abilities and battle readiness as soon as you can get me one."

Mei nodded and sent Ao to assemble the list while Naruto examined the map.

"By the looks of it, all of these bases are equidistant between the center of the island and the shore, while we're here, nearer the eastern base. That means that it's the one most expecting an attack."

"It looks like there are only ports on the north and south sides of the island as well as a second one near the Shallow Sea," Itachi observed as his eyes roamed over the map. Kisame was the only one of them that had actually fought in a war, but it seemed Naruto's tactical brilliance was made for these kinds of situations, with Itachi not far behind.

"Which means we start with the western base," Mei concluded.

"Not quite," Naruto said. "We're going to hit them all at once."

*(OoO)*

Naruto crept through the bushes, using the stars overhead to orient himself as he and Mei led eight others towards the eastern base. The village had been their top priority and as such each of the four groups consisted of only ten men and women that were the best fit for the job: destroying a base housing an average of two-hundred shinobi each.

Itachi had stayed behind at the village with Ao to oversee the defenses while they were away, and Naruto had split up his own group to ensure there was someone with a voice seal in each group as well as a shadow clone packed with chakra. If his instincts were correct, word of his victory against the norther forces would have reached their leader and they were likely to try an all out assault anytime now.

His group crept through the forest before coming upon their first patrol. Naruto called for the group to stop, then he created a clone who, along with a girl named Kamei transformed into a pair of field mice. Using his Kunshugan, he watched them approach the two patrolmen before reverting to their original forms and impaling them both in the neck with a kunai. The men dropped silently to the ground and Naruto's clone sealed their bodies in a scroll, handing it to Kamei before creating a second clone, and both transforming into the men they just killed.

Kamei returned to the group and handed Naruto the scroll which he sealed into the storage seal on the inside of his pocket. The coast clear, the group continued forward, Kamei and Naruto's clones killing and replacing every patrol they ran into.

"That should be the last one," Mei said as Kamei handed Naruto a tenth scroll.

Nodding, they slowly made their way towards the base, which wasn't much more than a large concrete bunker sunk into the ground. Naruto counted the sentries surrounding the bunker and found about twenty watching the perimeter of the building. Relaying the information to Mei, she nodded to one of her men who activated his bloodline which could prevent sound from escaping certain areas or render a target mute.

With no sound getting in or out of the bunker, Naruto's team split up and approached each individual pair of guards. Naruto knelt behind his targets and channeled Eclipses lightning chakra, stabbing both men through the heart simultaneously with a blade of dark energy. With his job done, he along with Mei on the opposite side of the bunker created a wave of lava while the other eight created a series of earthen walls to contain the molten rock as it burst through the windows of the bunker and flooded it with magma. Naruto was happy that he couldn't hear the screaming coming from inside of the bunker as the roof exploded off the building and the couple dozen severely burnt survivors leapt out of the hole to meet the walls surrounding them and Mei combining her fire and water chakras to create a stream of corrosive liquid that destroyed the remaining members men inside.

Naruto nodded and as a group the ten of them sprinted back towards the village where they saw Itachi and the defenders mopping up the last of the majority of the attackers as they attempted a siege from all directions only to be caught in a pincer as the other three groups joined his to attack the Kiri forces from behind, he and his clones multiplying and transforming to bolster the rebels' numbers while the others fought the stunned invaders.

In no time at all, the few remaining Kiri soldiers and samurai surrendered, and this time when cheers filled the air, Naruto allowed himself to smile. He was well aware that there was no chance that every mission would work out as well as this one, but for once, he simply let himself enjoy the win.

The celebrating went well into the night, and Naruto took the opportunity to slip away and pay a visit to Elder Yoneda.

"Ah, Naruto-kun, it's good to see you again. Congratulations on such a decisive victory."

Naruto smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, well, I couldn't have done it without the others. I just came up with the plan."

"Your humility is refreshing, Naruto-kun," Yoneda said with a smile. "But like pride, self-deprication can be a lethal weakness as well."

Naruto nodded and took a seat across from the old priest. "You said you had something for me?"

Yoneda nodded and pulled out a wrapped package. "This was a gift to Ameterasu to her last chosen warrior. He wore it in all his battles, and it was said that he was never once struck by blade or bow in all the time he fought."

Naruto accepted the package and unwrapped it to reveal a series of black metal disks and an assortment of straps. Shedding his robes, he held up each disk and figure out that they were almost like pads and guards for various parts of his body. There was one that went on the outside of each of his thighs, over his knees, and across the top of his feet. The same set up was strapped onto his shoulders, elbows, and the back of his hands. Lastly, there were two on his back, near the base of his neck and spine, and one that went just below his pectorals.

Naruto inspected the disks curiously, noting how they didn't cover many conventional vital areas, like his heart or his lungs, but figured there was something special about them like there was everything he found that Ameterasu left on earth. He channeled his chakra out through the disks and watched as the straps disintegrated, yet the disks remained stuck to his body. There was no noticeable drain on his chakra system, so he reasoned that leaving them there wouldn't be terribly debilitating until he found the time to properly test them out.

Putting his robes back on, Naruto bowed gratefully to Yoneda. "Thank you, Yoneda-domo. I will cherish this gift from Ameterasu-sama as it protects me from harm."

Yoneda returned the bow and Naruto left the priest to find a quiet roof to meditate on while the festivities continued throughout the village.

"You know, you meditate an awful lot for someone your age."

Naruto smirked and opened his eyes as Haku took a seat across from him. "You're only two years older than me."

"Still makes me your senior."

"I thought women didn't like being called old."

"I prefer to think of it as mature."

Naruto laughed and pulled Haku in for a kiss. He lifted her in his arms, smiling when she let out s short squeak and turned her around to sit in his lap. "Meditating is good for you," he said as they separated and Haku leaned back against his chest. "Here, close your eyes."

Haku did as he said and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth spreading through her back from his proximity. She gasped when Naruto took hold of her hands and felt his chakra reach out and enter her body. It was one of the most euphoric sensations she had ever felt when her own chakra network accepted Naruto's and they started mingling. Bolts of pleasure shot up and down her spine from the union until, suddenly, she was overwhelmed with a wealth of information. Her senses sharpened and she could suddenly hear, smell, taste, and feel everything going on within the village while her chakra reached out and started connecting with the energy around her.

"There's so much," she whispered. "Is this what you deal with normally?"

"More. I'm dulling it down so as not to overwhelm you," Naruto replied.

"How do you block it out?"

"I don't. Not anymore. I used to meditate to help filter a lot of it out and center myself, but Mom and Owryudan-sensei have been helping me, and I've been learning to accept it and try to use it as a way to connect with my surroundings."

As Haku thought about his words, she felt him expand his radius into the forest and she couldn't help but gasp as all the information painted a picture in her minds eye of her surroundings while the life force of even the smallest creatures around them shone like stars in a galaxy. She was awestruck by the beauty of it.

"It's amazing," she muttered. Naruto smiled and pulled her closer as they both opened their eyes and watched the villagers dance to a song Tayuya was playing on her flute. "It's only going to get harder from here, isn't it?"

"Yeah. This is my first time fighting in an actual war, but even I know that we got really lucky today."

"Don't sell yourself short. By the looks of things, the rebels don't have much experience fighting in any way other than traditionally. You're guerilla strategies are sure to help them and save lives."

"It's weird that an army made of shinobi don't know how to fight like shinobi, don't you think?"

"Now that you mention it, it is." Haku sighed and leaned back against him. "Why do I get the feeling that question is only going to bring more trouble?"

"Because, I don't know how to keep my nose out of trouble and you all keep following me head first for some reason?"

 **A/N: So, the gang is now committed to the war in the Land of Water, and Naruto is experiencing his first real war. How long can his string of success last, though? This mission promises tons of difficult trials for him, starting with the liberation of the islands around the Shallow Sea and an upcoming grudge match with the immortal Hidan. This is not going to be easy, that's for sure. Thanks as always for reading and reviewing, and I'll see you guys next time!**


	29. Chapter 29

They spent another week in that village, before the group of forty who destroyed the bunkers as well as Itachi, prepared to assault the neighbouring island. Naruto had sent several clones across the Shallow Sea to scout out the island and they now had a detailed map of it, including the three villages and the Kiri forces there, and the Temple of Jashin in the center of the island. Yoneda had also joined their group, citing that he would be coming along to help deal with the Jashinists.

Kitani and Isaribi came along too, thogh they wouldn't be participating in the fighting. Kitani said he would start trying to find them allies and was thrilled to hear that Naruto was friends of Fujika and Yazawa. Yazawa had promised to try to find some samurai that they could send under the banner of the Coalition to help as well as advising Kitani to appeal to the samurai's sense of honour. The quicker he found someone to act as Shogun and bring the samurai back together, the quicker they would be able to cripple the Kiri forces.

They waited until nightfall before once again walking along the bottom of the Shallow Sea, thanks to Naruto's help. Once they reached landfall, they immediately started creeping through the jungle, avoiding the various patrol routes until they came across another bunker, similar to the ones they destroyed on the first island.

It didn't take much effort for them to silently clear out the enemy forces. By the time the alarm was sounded throughout the bunker there was barely three dozen Kiri shinobi remaining and Naruto's group cleared them out with only one person suffering from a kunai to the leg which Haku immediately set to healing, having started to learn during their time in Uzu from Tsunade and Shizune when she was unavailable.

Kamei transformed into the shinobi in command of the bunker and reported an all clear when the radio on the table in the commander's quarters crackled and asked for an update. The next few hours were spent taking down unaware patrolmen as they came back at the end of their shift, and rounding up the ten or so samurai who had been helping. As it turned out, Yazawa's intuition was spot on, as the samurai immediately fell to the ground at the sight of Kitani and begged for forgiveness. Kurama helped Naruto to discern the samurai's sincerity as they explained that they had no choice other than to follow Yagura, and hated every second where they were forced to harm the people they were sworn to protect.

All but three of them were sincere in their pleading and Naruto was impressed when he called them out on it and the lead samurai who had spoken for the group drew her sword and cut down her comrades without remorse. Wiping the blood from his blade, the woman bowed low before Naruto and Kitani.

"I apologise for the violence of my actions, Kitani-sama, but I have long suspected those men of taking far too much pleasure in our forced submission beneath Yagura. While the rest of us refrained from doing much more than patrolling and fighting rebels, they volunteered to 'protect' the villages whenever they could."

Naruto and Kitani observed the woman with interest. She had short, orange hair cut in a pixie cut, and her blue armor was covered in scratches and dents detailing a long history of battle. Naruto felt out her chakra and was surprised to find a chakra signature almost as strong as Mei's. He nodded to Kitani and he addressed the woman.

"What is your name, Samurai-san?"

"Fumio Igarashi, Kitani-sama," the woman said to the ground, refusing to rise until allowed.

"Rise, Fumio-san," Kitani ordered, waiting until she had done so and was looking him in the eyes to continue. "The Land of Water is on a precipice, Fumio-san. A madman has turned our shinobi forces against our own people and tried to usurp my throne. He has murdered your Shogun and forced you to commit atrocities in his name. I offer you and your fellow samurai the opportunity to join us and be the first in this revolution to dismantle the system of chaos gripping our country. Will you join me?"

All of the samurai snapped to attention and their voices boomed in the concrete room as they all shouted, "Yes, Kitani-sama!"

Kitani smiled and nodded. "Then I name you, Fumio, the new Shogun of the Land of Water. We are pledged to following Naruto-san's orders after his tactical brilliance has proven a boon to our efforts, and should we succeed in our mission we will join his Coalition and pledge our country to the pursuit of peace."

Fumio slammed her fist over her chest and bowed her head. "Yes, Kitani-sama. My men and I will not disappoint you."

"Fumio-san, I need any information you can give me on the samurai," Naruto ordered. "I already am aware of their patrol routes and patterns along with the rest of the forces on this island, but I need to know if it's worth it to try and sway any of them over to our side."

"I dare say most of them are unhappy bending to Yagura's will," Fumio replied. "He did not prove his strength with a blade, and that rubs many of the samurai the wrong way. I know that there are many of us who have been working in secret to try and find a way to free ourselves from his control, but we are scattered and making contact is difficult at the best of times when surrounded by shinobi. That being said, it is unlikely that they will immediately surrender. Their honour will demand that they fight."

Naruto nodded and dismissed everyone to get some rest while he thought on this development. The next day they moved out, leaving Fumio's samurai and eight of their shinobi to guard the bunker after sealing many of the exits, while Yoneda, Isaribi, and Kitani stayed back as well to avoid the coming battle.

They approached the first village, a small farming community by the name of Sokunai. The village had been surrounded by earthen walls and other defences while the snap of a whip and shouting could be heard from within, setting Naruto's blood to a boil. Forcing himself to calm down he nodded to Mei who took most of the men and a clone around the village to the side of the wall farthest away from the farms. Once the clone dispelled, telling Naruto that Mei's group was in place, he nodded to Zabuza and Kisame who both activated their Hidden Mist Techniques, creating a blanket of fog that rolled out of their position and across the village in no time.

A boom told Naruto that Mei's group had started their assault and Naruto's group sprinted through the mist and up the wall in no time. Fumio and Kisame cut down the shinobi on the wall, circling the tiny village in no time at all while Haku and Tayuya went through knocking out any samurai they ran into and Naruto and Zabuza took the four men they had with them, wiping out the remaining shinobi in the streets. Naruto once again heard the crack of a whip and growled as he sprinted towards the sound, finding a tall, willowy man standing with his arm around a young girl's throat and a kunai to her jugular.

Naruto used his swift release and stabbed the man in the back with Eclipse while kicking his foot up to create a tendril of wood that wrapped around his wrist, yanking it away from the sobbing girl's throat. The man dropped to the ground and Naruto gathered the girl up in his arms before passing her off to a woman who looked like her mother.

An hour later and they had managed to rout the last of the Kiri forces occupying Sokunai, Mei's men combing the surrounding jungle for any survivors who escaped. Fumio spoke with the reawakened samurai, and managed to win their alliegance adding thirty swords to their growing attack force. Naruto ordered twenty-two of the samurai to return to the bunker and send the seven samurai already there to come and meet them. While they waited for the samurai, Mei and her people spoke with the villagers, helping them wherever they could and providing medical assistance to the ones suffering the worst from their time at the receiving end of a whip.

They spent the night in Sokunai, with Naruto's clones filling as much of the area around Sokunai with traps and seals as possible. Yoneda had joined the samurai coming back from the bunker and offered his assistance in healing the wounded. Their losses had been minimal, only two of their men having died in the initial assault against the wall, but as Naruto watched Mei and her men bury the dead while Yoneda prosided over them, he couldn't help but be struck dumb. He was aware of the fact that he was embroiled in a full out war, and had thought that after the invasion in Konoha, he might have been more used to facing the casualties of war, but he couldn't shake the guilt and pain that came from watching how quick and methodical Mei and her men were when it came to digging graves and burying their comrades.

He forced himself to stay until the end of the impromptu burial, even after the Rebel's left and Yoneda was praying over the buried bodies of their fallen enemies. He figured that he owed the dead at least that much, even if they were on opposing sides. When Yoneda finished, he left with a smile and a nod in Naruto's direction while Naruto himself allowed Tayuya and Haku to take his hands and lead him to the hut where they were staying before curling onto his bedroll on either side of him and banishing his numbness with their warmth and comfort.

The next day they were preparing to leave for the next village when Yoneda came up to Naruto and they exchanged a look. Naruto nodded and sighed in defeat, turning to Mei and the others.

"Do you really have to leave now?" Mei asked. "We've been doing so well under your command."

"I won't be gone long," Naruto replied. "But I think this is something that I have to do."

"Well then, we'll just wait until you come back to march on the next village," Fumio declared.

Naruto smiled and shook his head. "I can't ask you to do that. You have a war to fight, this is my fight."

"Well, you're not going alone," Tayuya said resolutely. "We're going with you."

"Ongaku-chan, you heard Yoneda. I need to do this myself. Besides, I don't you guys fighting someone like this Hidan creep."

"That's not up to you, shithead!" Tayuya shouted. "I don't care if Ameterasu-sama herself comes down to tell me not to go with you, I'm going anyways! If you're so worried about that immortal piece of crap hurting us, then take him down before he gets the chance! We'll help and keep the other freaks off of you."

"That goes double for me," Haku added.

"Naruto," Yoneda said calmly. "Your friends' loyalty is not something you should dismiss so easily. It cannot hurt to allow others to support you in your mission."

"Besides," Mei reasoned. "There's a bunker near the temple that we can take out to make your life a little easier while you deal with the Jashinists."

"Alright," Naruto conceded. "Kisame, Zabuza, you two stay here with the main force. Itachi-sensei, Sekki-chan, Ongaku-chan, Mei, and Fumio will come with me and Yoneda to take care of the Jashinists. Mei, Fumio, pick three men each to bring with us."

Zabuza and Kisame nodded. "Give 'em hell kid," Kisame said with a feral grin.

Naruto nodded and summoned Ryuda, ignoring the wide-eyed staring of the others as he hopped on his familiar's back. Something about this whole affair filled him with dread, and he couldn't help but be filled with worry. The sun was well on its way towards the western horizon when their group caught sight of the temple, and Naruto narrowed his eyes as he spied a white-haired man in Akatsuki robes and a red, three-bladed scythe strapped across his back sitting calmly on top of the gate at entrance to the temple grounds.

The temple itself was composed of a massive stone pyramid, vines covering most of the chipped steps indicating just how old the building was while four obsidian obelisks stood at each of its corners rising high above the main temple.

"So, you're the champion Jashin warned us about," Hidan shouted as they approached. Scores of Kiri shinobi and samurai poured out of the temple and Naruto noticed a foul aura surrounding them as they lined up in front of them. Their eyes were pale and lacked expression even as they snarled at Naruto and his little group while Hidan jumped down to stand between them and the Temple. "Gotta say, I'm not impressed."

"Ryuda, stay with the others," Naruto ordered as he jumped down from his friend's back. "This is between me and him."

Ryuda reluctantly nodded as Naruto walked forward, his Kunshugan trained on his opponent while the others watched.

"Kick his ass, Naruto-kun!" Tayuya shouted.

Hidan looked away and scanned the group at Naruto's back. "Itachi? Is that you? Oh, I don't think Leader-sama is gonna be too happy if he hears that you're siding with this brat after swearing allegiance to him. Then again, he might not care seeing as you'll be dead either way, Jashin-sama loves the blood of oath-breakers."

"I'm not your opponent today, Hidan," Itachi replied calmly. "We're simply here to deal with the Kiri forces in the area, though it seems you took the liberty of doing that yourself."

"Do you like them?" Hidan asked indicating the soulless warriors behind him. "Our latest shipment of sacrifices never arrived, so we had to make due with what we had. Of course, the Mizukage wouldn't be terribly happy if we just up and slaughtered his men, so we decided to test out a little… improvement we've been working on."

"You're sick!" Mei shouted.

"Maybe," Hidan shrugged. "But Jashin-sama's love cures all!"

With that he charged at Naruto, his scythe flying through the air while the forces at his back attacked the others. Naruto jumped back to avoid the swing of the scythe and winced as the top blade still managed to scratch him across his left eye, carving out a gash in his eyebrow and cheek and nearly impaling his eye.

Naruto leapt back and screamed as his back impacted some sort of invisible wall that electrocuted him and set his nerves on fire. Dropping to his knees, he panted as Hidan laughed.

"Do you like it?" He asked. "The priests of the temple were so kind as to erect a nice little barrier so that your friends can't interfere. It's just you, me, and Jahin-sama!"

Naruto growled and released his seals, drawing Eclipse and channeling his fire chakra to cauterize the gash on his face and stem the flow of blood into his eye. He vanished with the swift release and reappeared next to Hidan, swinging his sword and channeling his wind chakra. A flurry of black energy blades sliced into Hinda and even separated his left arm from his torso, but the maniacal fanatic merely laughed as he grabbed his arm and jumped back.

"Sorry, but you're gonna need to try harder than that!" Naruto growled in frustration as Hidan threw off his cloak and pushed his severed arm towards the stump where it had been removed. He watched as the flesh knit itself back together and he swung his arm around to test it while the remainder of his injuries vanished. Satisfied, Hidan flew towards Naruto and remarkable speeds and the two engaged in a deadly back and forth as Naruto's blade and staff clashed with Hidan's scythe. Eventually, Hidan gained the upper hand, knocking Eclipse out of Naruto's hand and impaling his left forearm on his scythe, prompting Naruto to cry out and drop his staff. "Don't worry, Champion of Ameterasu, I won't use your blood in my ritual to Jashin-sama. You don't deserve that honour. I will however slice you into tiny little pieces and leave just enough life in you to watch as I sacrifice all your little friends out there. Then I'm gonna head to that little village you 'liberated' and do the same thing there."

"You… leave them alone," Naruto grunted as he pulled his arm off the scythe and kicking a stream of fire up into Hidan's chest.

Hidan barely even grunted as he jumped back, his chest badly burned but quickly healing, and laughed. "So he can speak! Great, I love it when they beg." He stuck out his tongue and licked Naruto's blood off his scythe before spitting it out in disgust. "Just as I thought, your blood is tainted by that bitch Ameterasu. Hopefully those two girls over there will taste better."

Naruto turned his gaze to where Tayuya and Haku were fighting back to back, and growled as he turned back only to see Hidan's scythe flying towards him at near-sonic speeds. Ducking and spinning in place, Naruto channeled Kurama's chakra, creating a three-tailed cloak, and created several spinning blades of crystal that sliced through Hidan's legs, only for them to heal before he even fell off them. Hidan laughed and yanked on the chain attached to the bottom of his scythe, bringing it back to him as he charged forward to rocket a fist into Naruto's gut sending him flying up into the wall of the barrier surrounding them and wracking his body with pain before his chakra tails pushed him away and he dropped down to his feet.

He reached his freshly recovered arm out and summoned his staff, using it to block and counter Hidan's attacks. The elements flew as he tried everything he could to put the immortal fanatic down, but no matter what he did, Hidan simply bounced right back.

There was a scream from outside the barrier, and Naruto almost turned in its direction before he felt Itachi spring into action. With his help, the Kiri forces were quickly decimated and Naruto couldn't help but grin at the scowl on Hidan's face.

"Looks like you're gonna be making those sacrifices by yourself," He quipped.

Hidan glared at Naruto and raised his scythe to charge back in. "Those were gifts from Jashin-sama! I'm gonna tear you and your friends apart one by one!"

Haku flinched and gripped Tayuya's hand as they were forced to watch a madman slowly beat Naruto down. Naruto gave as good as he got, but none of the wounds he inflicted lasted more than a few seconds while the one's Hidan inflicted costed him precious blood and chakra to heal. All the while, Hidan screamed about the various horrors he would inflict upon her and the others once he was done with Naruto. Turning to her head as Naruto's left shoulder was caught between the top two blades of Hidan's scythe, screaming as the blades tore through muscle and grinded against bone, Haku spied Yoneda on his knees praying while a silvery-white chakra poured out of his body.

Naruto ground his teeth as Hidan yanked on his chain, tearing the scythe out of his shoulder before rushing forward and punting Naruto into the barrier. He had lost track of how long they had been fighting and how many times he should have killed his opponent by now. Darkness creeped into the edges of his vision as the electricity of the barrier coursed through his body, all of his concentration directed towards the sole act of channeling the energy away from his heart.

 _I can't die here,_ Naruto thought. _I won't!_

 _Why not?_ A melodic voice asked, and in an instant Naruto found himself standing in a dark void as a glowing figure descended upon him. _Are you afraid of dying in my name?_

 _Ameterasu-sama,_ Naruto bowed as the goddess approached and wrapped him up in his arms. He closed his eyes as memories of the first hug he ever received rose up in his mind.

 _It's good to see you again, Naruto-kun,_ Ameterasu's voice was soft in Naruto's head as she held him close.

 _I'm not afraid of dying at all, Ameterasu-sama,_ he said. _But that doesn't mean I can just roll over and die, even if I'm outmatched. I made a promise to you that I would help solve whatever conflict it is you see coming, as well as a promise to myself to help bring peace to the Elemental Nations. If I die here, than I break those promises, and even worse, this crazy guy is going to hurt my precious people. That's something I_ won't _allow._

 _I knew I made the right choice in champions,_ Ameterasu said with a smile as she leaned down and placed a warm kiss on his forehead. _Now show this madman the strength of your convictions._

Naruto suddenly found himself back inside the barrier just as Hidan's scythe arced through the air, on a path to cleave his head in two. A surge of strength flowed through Naruto's body and his chakra exploded while his eyes burned with renewed ferocity. Raising his right hand, he caught the scythe by its center blade while his left hand reached out and grabbed the barrier. He could feel the chakra of someone nearby sustaining the barrier as he channeled the electricity through him and down the chain of the scythe, pumping Hidan full of millions of volts.

Hidan screamed and was frozen in place as his mucles locked while Naruto forcefully pulled the energy out of the barrier and drained the chakra of the one holding it. Taking advantage of his position, he closed his eyes and used his already separated positive and negative energies to help him start building sage chakra within his body as Kurama healed his wounds and pumped more of his chakra into him with a roar of approval. The barrier finally fell away, the one sustaining it having run low on chakra, and Naruto released the scythe as he fought to contain the incredible energy within him. His every cell screamed and burned, not used to containing so much of Kurama's chakra as well as the phenomenal power of the little bit of sage chakra he managed to create, and he knew he would have to end this soon, or not at all.

Itachi's eyes widened as he spied the beginnings of black markings forming around Naruto's eyes while the five prongs of his Kunshugan spun wildly. At the moment, with four tails worth of chakra bursting from his back, just above his shoulder blades, Naruto was bleeding off enough chakra that the trees surrounding them were bending away while plants grew out of the soil around his feet.

Hidan grunted as he shook off the last of the electricity coursing through his body and shakily stood up from where he collapsed to his knees after the chaotic attack. He eyed Naruto and growled as he ran forward and threw his scythe once more only for Naruto's already ruined robe to explode and reveal the black metal disks sticking to various parts of his body. The disks raised off his skin slightly and glowed as dark chakra surrounded them, shifting and morphing into a translucent set of samurai armor made of solidified chakra. It reminded Itachi of a miniature Susanoo as the dragon themed armor mingled with his chakra cloak and Naruto summoned Eclipse and his staff with a flick of his wrists.

Hidan's scythe glanced off the chakra armor and Naruto swiped Eclipse across himself, severing the chain and dropping the scythe to the ground before vanishing and reappearing right in front of Hidan, slamming the head of his staff into Hidan's chest and draining him of his chakra before swinging a flaming Eclipse while a number of dark blurs sliced Hidan to bits, the dark flame cauterized each amputation as the Jashinist was cut where each of his individual bones were, separating him into hundreds of small pieces that were burnt to prevent proper healing. Naruto then sheathed Eclipse and swung his arms around, encasing each individual part in a separate crystal. Turning to the temple behind him, Naruto raised up on a small tornado and sunk the pyramid in a controlled pool of lava, eroding the obelisks with his boil release before cooling the molten pile with water he bent out of the air. Once the hill of igneus rock was properly cooled, Naruto turned back to the crystals containing Hidan and directed each one to impale itself in a different part of the hill where he willed a great tree to grow around them.

Activating his Sharingan, Itachi could see intricate seals imbedded within the trunk of each tree, sealing away Hidan to a truly pitiful existence. They all watched as Naruto took a deep breath, reverting to his usual form with the exception of the black metal disks on his skin stretching to create a thin chest plate and pads around his body. The second he touched ground, he immediately collapsed and Haku was there in an instant, catching him and, with Tayuya's help, lifted him onto Ryuda's back.

They were all silent as they marched back towards Sokunai until finally when they were within sight of the walls, the tension reached a breaking point and Mei called for them to stop.

"What was all that?" She asked, eyeing Naruto who was sleeping peacefully between Haku and Tayuya on Ryuda's back.

"That is the power of Ameterasu-sama's chosen champion," Yoneda replied sagely. "The strength of Naruto's convictions allowed him to momentarily tap into the raw potential within him and protect those he cares about."

Naruto woke up and groaned as he looked around the hut in Sukunai where he had been staying. He could tell that it was night time by the lack of light, but other than that, he was unsure for how long he had been unconscious.

 _It's been about two days since you collapsed,_ Kurama told him. _Take it easy for now though. Your body's still healing._

Naruto nodded and smiled as his father's chakra started flowing through him, assisting in repairing his body from the damage of his fight with Hidan.

"Good to see you finally awake, Naruto-kun." Naruto whipped his head around and froze as he locked eyes with a strange hooded figure.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked activating his voice seal so the others would know what was going on.

"That is of no concern to you," the hooded man replied, his voice low. "I simply wished to meet the boy who gave Chikanari so much trouble on his mission to the Land of Fire."

"How do you know that psychopath?" Naruto asked.

"Simple," the man said with a chuckle. "We are both members of the same organization. Though he is not as firm a believer in our ideals and simply revels in the opportunity to be provided with some entertainment."

"And what ideals are those?"

"Now why would I explain our divine burden to someone like you, simply waiting to be delivered to death's door?" The man asked as he raised his arm and a dark red, curved blade shot out of his sleeve. Naruto tried to move out of the way, his friends were seconds away and he only needed to stall for that long, but his body would not listen to his commands. At the same moment, he felt an impact on a barrier surrounding his hut and the cold realisation that he was trapped settled upon his soul before a bright flash of light illuminated the room between the two, and the clang of metal striking metal ripped through the air.

Standing above him, easily blocking his assailant's attack with one of his ornate scimitars, was Owryudan in his human form. A surge of chakra shot out of the King of Dragons and Naruto felt his body return to full capacity while the barrier outside was torn to shreds permitting his friends to all burst through the door and prepare to attack the hooded man.

Faced with the impossible odds, the hooded man scoffed and pulled his arm back before vanishing in burst of lightning. Confident that the threat was neutralized, Owryudan turned to kneel in front of Naruto.

"This was not how I planned on congratulating you for beginning the second half of your Kunshugan's growth, Naruto-kun," Owryudan said with a smirk. "But I suppose considering your propensity for attracting danger, I shouldn't be surprised." Reaching into his armor, Owryudan pulled out a scroll similar to the one Naruto had read in the Hokage's Office all those months ago after returning from his mission to the Land of Waves. "This will help you in beginning your journey of understanding."

Naruto accepted the scroll and bowed his head gratefully. Owryudan stood and vanished in another flash of light, but was replaced by Ryuda, who padded over to Naruto's side and lay down curled around him.

"Well, now that you're awake, maybe it's best we get to work planning our next move," Mei suggested.

Naruto smiled and indicated she lead the way while he held his hand out, calling his staff and Eclipse to him as Tayuya and Haku fussed over him and helped him to his feet. Noting the changes in the metal disks Yoneda had given him, Naruto strapped Eclipse to his waist and leaned on his staff casually.

He examined the staff as they followed Mei towards the town hall. He watched the gem floating in the middle of the golden ring and made a decision.

 _I think I'll name you Corona._

A thrum of approval traveled down his arm from the staff and Naruto smiled as he turned his head forward. The group entered the town hall and gathered around a large table in the foyer. On top of it was the detailed map Naruto's clones had helped draw up with marks on where they had been and where the fighting was currently taking place.

"The forces from the other two villages are quite a bit bigger than what we faced here," Mei surmised as she pointed at various spots around the island. "There are twice as many bunkers in the jungles between the three villages as there were back on the other island. They each house an average of seventy-five men, and we've already taken care of two of them."

"But there were nearly two-hundred in each of the bunkers we took down before," one of the Rebels said.

"That's because you chased them out of the village and they split up to stay at the bunkers surrounding you," Itachi replied coolly.

"So that's our merry little band of a little over fifty against four-hundred and fifty Kiri shinobi and samurai," Kisame concluded. "Sounds fun."

"Then you'll love this," Mei replied, pointing at the two villages. "Each of these village has an outpost housing another two hundred troops and radios to contact each other and Kiri should they need reinforcements, which, considering we are right smack in the middle of Kiri territory, would not be hard to find."

"I can handle the radios," Naruto said confidently. "But I need two transformation specialists and to be part of the group who is the closest to the radios. Additionally, the bunkers probably have radios as well so I'll need someone who specialises in lightning release for each one to meet me so I can teach them how to deal with them too."

"You'll get them," Mei promised as she turned back to the map. "Guerrilla tactics have worked so far, and with Naruto's help we should be able to keep using them, but we need to figure out a way to hold the islands once we win them."

"What about a genjutsu?" Tayuya offered. "If we can divert their ships to only one place, I can probably figure out a genjutsu that will keep them away."

"But how do we divert ships to one place between two entire islands without drawing attention to the fact that they've been taken?" Zabuza asked.

Naruto frowned and examined the map, his eyes drifting to the south-western corner. "I might be able to figure that out, but I'll need to leave for a little while to do it."

 **A/N: Hopefully that fight wasn't too bad. We get to see another glimpse of what Naruto could be in his fight with Hidan, and see how he starts to accept the realities of war. On top of that, another member of the group Chikanari follows has made a brief appearance and Naruto has unlocked the fifth prong of his Kunshugan. Things are steadily picking up, though hopefully at a much more chaotic pace than they did in the Hot Water arc. Thanks for reading and reviewing, I'll see you next time!**


	30. Chapter 30

The next three weeks were spent with Naruto and his clones teaching Mei's rebels everything he knew about guerilla warfare (granted until recently it was mostly theoretical) and they started booby trapping the jungle with seals and traps in anticipation for the battle that was coming. Naruto had also Hiraishined away to the Land of Fire and come back with Yazawa, though the Shogun said that, like Itachi, he was relegating himself to a mostly supervisory role while he and Naruto worked. Additionally, he had started training Fumio in the responsibilities of the Shogun and sparring with her to help improve her skills as it was necessary that the Shogun be the strongest samurai in the country and it wouldn't do for the Mizukage to send someone to steal her position. Zabuza and Kisame also helped her train, in anticipation for the very real possibility of Yagura having access to members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

Finally the day came where they would move out. Yazawa returned to the Land of Fire, and Itachi remained behind with a handful of men to watch over Sokunai. Naruto was creeping through the streets of Shakozawa, the larger of the two villages and the one farthest away from Sokunai. Behind him were Zabuza, Haku, and Kamei, as well as a pair of samurai. They had very few issues slipping past the guards and entering the village via the sewers, and were now waiting on the roof of a house watching the Kiri outpost from a distance.

 _"We're in position,"_ Mei's voice whispered over the voice seal. Naruto had ensured that there was at least one person in each group with a voice seal to maintain a line of communication, having handed out temporary paper ones for Mei and her troops to wear as well. One by one, confirmations from the six bunkers across the island and Hamju, the other village, sounded out and Naruto acknowledged them, waiting until he got the all clear from both clones waiting outside the villages before giving the order.

"Alright, proceeding with phase one."

He created and dispelled a clone and a minute later, shouting filled the air as the men guarding the walls suddenly saw hundreds of his clones transformed to look like rebel forces burst out of the jungle and rush towards the wall.

"Okay, now, lightning specialists, initiate black out."

Standing up, Naruto swirled his arms and channeled his lightning chakra. Spinning in place he poured more and more chakra into the lightning as it spiraled around his body before Naruto waved his arms and condensed the rotating energy into a pseudo-Rasengan and unleashed it all at once. The pulse of energy spread throughout the village and lights were extinguished as the electromagnetic pulse created a rolling black out through out the village. The sudden darkness stirred up a panic as the lights shining on the invading army of clones suddenly went out and Kiri forces sprinted out of the outpost to go towards the wall. Similar situations happened all around the island and chaos spread abound as Naruto's clones led the Kiri forces on a merry chase through the jungle where their numbers were rapidly cut down by the thousands of traps that had been laid throughout the island. Nodding to Haku and Zabuza, Naruto jumped across the rooftops, followed by Kamei and the samurai while mist filled the streets. He was barely hampered by the almost total darkness within the village thanks to his Kunshugan and was approaching the outpost when Tayuya's voice rang in her ears.

 _"Uh, we have a problem here."_ The sounds of battle in the background were clear and Naruto frowned at the strained tone in her voice. _"It seems that there were shinobi here that were better prepared for us. One of them in particular is mopping the floor with us."_

A chirping sound came through the seal followed by the familiar sound of someone being impaled and Naruto growled, extending his senses to locate the clone nearest to Tayuya's position. Locking in on her location in the other village, Naruto focused his chakra and performed a Revolving Hiraishin to instantaneously switch places with his clone, confidant it could handle things.

He arrived about fifty yards from Tayuya's position and released his seals while activating his swift release as he heard the familiar chirping and spied the bluish-white blur of a lightning technique headed straight for her. He arrived in the nick of time, catching Kakashi's chidori with his right hand and directing the electricity through his body and out his other hand to intercept Lee as he dropped down at blinding speeds to deliver a crushing axe kick. The lightning Naruto manipulated was far faster than any regular lightning release technique, and as such, blasted Lee out of the air while sweeping Kakashi off his feet and throwing him towards Tenten.

"Naruto?" Kakashi asked as he righted himself and landed harmlessly. "What are you doing here?"

Naruto didn't respond and instead took advantage of Kakashi and Tenten's shock to teleport behind them and deliver a quick blow to the back of their necks, knocking them out. He didn't have the time to fight all out against someone of Kakashi's skill level, and he wasn't sure he could win without endangering the lives of the people under his command. Acting fast, Naruto threw the three together, his clone approaching with an unconscious Shikamaru over his shoulder as well, and bound them together in a mixture of wood and crystal before drawing seals on each of them to seal away their chakra. He then grabbed them and Hiraishined back to Sokunai and left them under Itachi's care in the town hall, smiling as reports started coming in from the various bunkers of victory, while his clone dispelled telling him that the radios had been taken control of and an imposter put at each of them.

Confidant Mei and her forces could handle the rest of the cleanup, Naruto dispelled his clones throughout the island, sifting through the gathered memories before walking into the middle of the foyer and seating himself within the incredibly complex sealing array he and Yazawa had designed. Sweat poured down his face as he channeled his chakra and Corona's sage chakra into the seal. Outside, he received reports that the tides around the islands were becoming increasingly turbulent, and grunted as Kurama added his own chakra to the mix.

By the time he was finished, he was panting heavily and Mei and her men had returned, if the cheering and sounds of celebration coming from outside were any indication. Mei strode in and reported that of the original forty that crossed the Shallow Sea, eighteen remained. Naruto nodded and resigned to dealing with the fact that he had led over twenty men and women to their deaths later as he sent for the rest of his friends from Uzu. By the time they had all arrived, Kakashi and the others were just starting to awaken.

"Naruto?" Kakashi mumbled as he looked up and examined the group standing over him. "So, you really did become a missing-nin. I didn't want to believe it."

"I haven't become a nuke-nin, Kakashi," Naruto replied calmly, placing a shoulder on Tayuya's shoulder pre-emptively.

"You say that, and yet Itachi Uchiha is standing right next to you as well as Kisame Hoshigaki, both of whom are listed as S-Rank criminals in the Bingo Book and attacked Konoha."

"Itachi-sensei isn't a missing-nin anymore," Naruto said firmly. "Neither is Kisame."

"Itachi… sensei?"

Naruto nodded. "Both of them have sworn their allegiance to the Hokage in Uzu and are honourable whirlpool shinobi."

"What are you talking about?" Tenten demanded. "Hiashi-sama might be a prick but he's the Hokage!"

"I think we've answered enough of their questions for the time being," Itachi said, to which Naruto nodded.

"I agree. We already know that Hiashi has sent them to try and garner Yagura's support as Iwa and Kumo start turning on each other, so the only question I have is: are you going to go through with it, or will you join me and the rebels in liberating Kiri and the Land of Water?"

"You know we can't do that, Naruto," Kakashi relpied, a hint of remorse tinging his voice.

"You can if it's under duress," Naruto replied with a smirk. "You're a good man, Kakashi. I can tell you don't want to help Yagura exterminate the bloodlines. Not to mention that the second he sees your Sharingan, you'll have failed your mission."

"What do you mean under duress?" Tenten asked.

"He means that he's got some way to make it look like we were forced to fight on his side," Shikamaru answered.

Naruto nodded and pulled out his ink and brush, adjusting the chakra seals on each of their necks. "This is a similar seal to the one I gave Konan when she first came to live in Konoha. You now won't be able to mold chakra against anyone with a bloodline, and it will only take a second for me or my friends to completely seal your chakra should you try anything funny." He dismissed their bindings and helped Kakashi to his feet.

"I still don't think you should be trusting Itachi, Naruto," Kakashi said, eyeing Itachi skeptically.

"Itachi-sensei has earned my trust."

"How did he do that? Slaughter another clan or two for you?" Tenten snarked.

Naruto's chakra pulsed and the crushing pressure of it made her snap her mouth shut with a click. "You'd do well not to talk about things you don't have all the information about, Tenten-san." The pressure faded and Lee broke the tension by striking his signature pose.

"Yosh! It is most youthful of you to include us in your mission of justice, Naruto-kun!"

Naruto smiled and waved him away. "Go find someplace to rest. We're not going to stay on this island for very long."

*(OoO)*

As it turned out, the Rebels' base of operation was actually close to the border of the Land of Fire, Yagura not wanting to chance attacking another nation made it the perfect place to safely hole up. Naruto frowned at this though as Mei informed him that the leader of the Rebel's specifically picked it as their base for the express purpose of keeping away from the front lines. The more she told Naruto about the man, the less Naruto liked what he heard, but he was going to have to hold off on voicing his opinions for now.

They were fortunate that Naruto had already placed a Hiraishin seal close to the border, so he, his team, Mei, Ao, Kitani, Isaribi, Yoneda, Fumio, and Kakashi's team managed to arrive at the base in under half a day of travel. Mei and Ao led them towards the base, a large refugee camp hidden within the side of a canyon, and Naruto narrowed his eyes as he observed the way the shinobi were treating the people fleeing Yagura's wrath.

"You sure you're on the right side of this, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked as they watched a pair of shinobi approach a woman and her son who were huddled together.

Naruto growled as the men tried to solicit the woman in front of her son and beat Mei to the punch as he walked over to have a word with them. The others watched, the females of the group smiling vindictively when one of the men tried to take a swing at Naruto and he caught the man's hand in his own, breaking it as bone impacted metal.

Mei's smirk grew as she watched the other man run away. "I think he's about to make it the right side."

By the time Naruto rejoined their group, they were surrounded by a dozen rebel shinobi demanding their names and intention.

"M-M-Mei-san? I-Is that you?"

"I didn't know Hinata was here," Tayuya quipped as a young blue-haired boy ran through the line of shinobi surrounding them. He wore square, black-rimmed glasses connected to ear protectors and carried a large bandaged sword on his back that had two handles connected by a chain.

"So that's the current wielder of Hiramekarei," Zabuza remarked watching as Mei and the boy reunited like brother and sister.

"He's even less impressive than you were when I first met you, Zabuza," Kisame noted with a smirk, laughing when Zabuza growled and elbowed him in the ribs.

"Chojuro!" Ao barked. "Address Mei-taicho with the proper respect! We've just come back from the islands around the Shallow Sea and need to report to Baisho-sama."

"So, you actually made it back." A second newcomer approached them through the gathering crowd. Naruto heard Mei growl under her breath as the crowd parted to allow a thin, willowy man with long, greasy black hair that fell down his back and framed his smirking face.

 _Something about him doesn't feel right,_ Kurama observed. _Stay on your guard, Kit. I don't think this human is as idealistic as the ones you've been helping._

Naruto mentally nodded and watched as Mei and the newly identified Baisho traded thinly-veiled barbs.

"Yes, my men and I have successfully taken back the islands across the Shallow Sea. It is now clear of Kiri forces and they are currently there, alive and well, helping the people there to rebuild and fortify."

Baisho's eyes narrowed slightly as they flicked over to the people standing behind Mei. "I see you brought some… outsiders with you."

"Yes. I met several shinobi from the newly reformed Uzu, and they helped me and my men in our efforts to recapture the island."

Naruto caught the look of paranoia in Baisho's eyes and filed that away as yet another voice broke through the crowd and an older woman came rushing through only to be blocked by the shinobi encircling them.

"Kitani-sama! Kitani-sama! You're alive! Oh, thank the gods! Let me through you barbarians!"

All eyes turned between Kitani and the woman as he approached the men holding her back.

"Let her go," Kitani ordered. The men looked like they wanted to disobey, but Kitani carried the same aura around him that Naruto had seen surrounding Fujika. The way they carried themselves and spoke with absolute authority almost compelled people to obey them, and the men let the woman through as she tripped and fell. Naruto was next to her in a flash, the casual use of his swift release setting the rebels on edge, and he lifted the small, frail woman up, handing her off to Kitani.

"Oh, Kitani-sama!" The woman sobbed as she wrapped her arms around him. "I was so worried when we were separated! I-I thought –I thought…"

Kitani held the woman close and shushed her. "It's okay, I'm here and I'm fine." Kitani turned his eyes back to their group as Yoneda stepped forward. "Elder Yoneda, could you and Isaribi-chan please take her somewhere she can rest? I have a feeling I should be present for the coming meetings."

Yoneda nodded and took the woman by the arm while Isaribi smiled and grabbed her other hand, allowing her to lead them toward the patch of ground where her tent was set up. Kitani rejoined the group as Baisho started leading them through the camp and blushed sheepishly at the incquiring looks.

"Goda has been my retainer since I was born. She was more of a parent to me than my own, particularly after my mother's passing. She and I were separated not long after the attack on the capital."

Baisho led them to a large tent at the back of the camp. The inside was equipped for war meetings with several chairs surrounding a large, rectangular table, and maps and scrolls littering the shelves and ground. Naruto had to fight down his anger, though, when he managed to catch a glimpse of the personal quarters in the rear of the tent where luxuries one would not expect a rebel leader hiding out in a refugee camp to have. Where the people outside were starving and freezing on the cold stone, Naruto could easily see a tray covered in fruits and meats as well as a glimpse of a plush bed adorned with rich furs.

 _Is every leader I run into going to be corrupt?_ Naruto wondered to himself. He pondered what Baisho's end goal could be, but settled for putting that train of thought aside as Baisho took a seat at the head of the table while a shorter, bulky woman slipped out of the shadows to stand just behind him at his side. Naruto thought they made quite the odd couple as the woman clearly tried to exert her presence as his enforcer.

"So, Mei-chan, tell me how you managed to not only survive, but capture those islands, and why you're in my base with shinobi from Konoha and, according to you, Uzu, as well as a samurai and some pampered ponce from the capital."

In an instant, Fumio had crossed the space between herself and Baisho and had her katana pressed lightly against his throat. Naruto shifted in front of Kakashi and his team, knowing full well that they would be unable to fight due to the conditions of the seals he placed on them.

"You will show Kitani-sama the proper respect he deserves," Fumio muttered coolly. "He is the rightful Daimiyo of the Land of Water, and as its Shogun, I will not stand for your impudence."

"That's enough, Fumio," Naruto ordered as he noticed Baisho's relaxed posture and the woman behind him preparing to take action. "It was a simple misstep, it won't happen again."

Fumio looked back between him and Kitani, who nodded his assent as well, and stood up, sheathing her blade and returning to her place at Kitani's side.

"Interesting," Baisho remarked, the arrogant smirk on his face setting Naruto on edge. "She claims to be the Shogun, yet her and her apparent Daimiyo answer to a boy who, judging by the lack of leaf insignia, hails from Uzu –or so he claims. On top of that, I count two former members of our Seven Ninja Swordsmen amongst your group as well."

"Naruto is the one who saved both myself and Fumio-dono from Kiri forces," Kitani explained. "His charisma and tactical brilliance allowed for us to reinstate a proper samurai as Shogun and begin winning over the samurai that Yagura has under his thumb as well as successfully rout an enemy that vastly outnumbered him. We follow him because he has earned our loyalty."

"Somehow, I find it hard to believe that a _child_ managed to help Mei-chan and her men to succeed in what was essentially a suicide mission," Baisho said, his face impassive even as his tone carried a hint of skepticism mixed with contempt.

"Baisho-san," Kakashi stepped forward. "What Kitani-sama says is true. I may not have been present for the liberation of the southern island, but my team and I had been forced into cooperating with Yagura's forces on the northern island, and within the span of a night, Naruto led a group of less than fifty and managed to defeat a force numbering over six hundred with minimal casualties as well as capturing me and my team and finding a way to allow us to join your side."

The others in the group all nodded their agreement and Baisho was forced to concede their point. Naruto saw that paranoia flash across his face again and restrained himself from narrowing his eyes as Baisho smirked.

"If that's the case, then perhaps you can prove to be useful towards our efforts, Naruto-san."

"That's good to hear," Naruto replied, his chakra adding a larger presence to his voice as it filled the tent despite its lower volume.

"Your eagerness to help us is a welcome sight," Baisho said. "In fact, if what Kitani-sama says about you is true, I think you could prove to be most useful helping us on the front lines. Mei and her men will of course accompany you."

Naruto smiled cordially and nodded his head. "We'll leave as soon as we can."

Baisho's smile widened before he reclined in his seat and waved his hand to dismiss them. Naruto led them out of the tent and placed a placating hand on Tayuya's shoulder as she nearly exploded. "I can't believe I hate the leader of the group of rebels almost as much as the genocidal tyrant they're fighting against."

"We'll deal with him in due time," Naruto said. "For now, get some rest, I meant what I said. We're leaving for the front lines tomorrow."

*(OoO)*

The next day Naruto and the group, with the exception of Kitani and Isaribi, who decided to stay behind and help out the refugees, and Chojuro, who wanted to fight by Mei's side and wouldn't take no for an answer, Hiraishined back to Sokunai where they dropped off Yoneda and were joined by several of Yumio's samurai as they marched towards the south-eastern shore where Naruto clapped his hands together and created a large boat with his wood release, taking his customary place at the front of the deck as he manipulated the crashing tides to allow them safe passage before propelling them across the open ocean.

Night came and the rebels took turns propelling the ship with their own jutsu while Naruto slept, nestled between Haku and Tayuya. Tenten stared at him and contemplated how much stronger he must have gotten since that sparring match outside a mansion all those months ago.

"So, Konoha finally gave birth to another wood release user and wound up kicking him out," Mei said. Itachi and Kakashi had been taking turns telling her about Naruto and his past. "Though, I still can't see how Hiashi Hyuga would ever sign off on a mission to win the favour of a man hellbent on exterminating bloodlines."

"Ever since Tsunade-sama left, Konoha has taken a darker approach towards things," Kakashi explained. "Hiashi-sama is of the opinion that Yagura's distaste for bloodlines is restricted only to those within the Land of Water. Therefore, it is of no consequence to him and the council whether or not he hates them so long as we could convince his forces to work with us in case the Iwa and Kumo forces decide to involve us as well. With Suna under Konoha's thumb, they wouldn't think of attacking the united force of three Hidden Villages."

"Don't forget Hiashi's plans to properly conquer Suna and Kiri afterwards," Kisame added, prompting the Konoha-nin to whip their heads around to face him.

"How do you know that?" Kakashi asked, his usual lazy expression replaced with laser focus.

Kisame smirked and readjusted himself in his seat with a grunt. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Kisame, stop teasing our guests," Itachi ordered. "They're smarter than they look. We shouldn't give them more breadcrumbs than necessary."

"So how do two S-Rank missing-nin end up signing up with this new village Naruto's trying to start up?" Shikamaru asked.

"Naruto offered us a place to call home and a new start," Itachi explained.

"The Land of Fire recognises Uzu as its official Hidden Village," Zabuza explained. "They operate on an ideal of new beginnings. When you join up, you aren't judged for what you've done in the past, but how you work towards the future."

The Konoha-nin considered his words and were silent for the remainder of the trip. They made landfall just before dawn and Naruto was surprised at the radically different weather on this island. As opposed to the jungles and forests he had seen before, this island was composed primarily of rolling hills and tall, snowy mountains. Handing his robe over to Tayuya, as he and Haku were unfazed by the biting winds, Naruto stood next to Mei as they poured over a map of the island.

"Our last report had No Man's Land spreading from one end of the island to the other between these two mountain ranges." She pointed to a wide patch of land stretching across the island from east to west. "This tiny patch here, where we are, is Rebel territory. The rest belongs to Kiri. They've built a port on the easter side of the island, providing easy access to Kiri and the neighbouring island."

Naruto examined the map and nodded, his mind running through different scenarios as they all sprinted towards the last known location of the Rebel camp. He forced himself to not ignore the battle scarred landscape they ran across. Weapons and bodies littered the ground around them and they were forced to take a detour as something had caused a massive landslide between two mountains, the smell of rot in the cool air informing them that there were massive casualties.

Their detour proved to be fortuitous, relatively speaking, as they rounded the northern mountain and managed to stumble upon the shambled remains of the Rebel camp. They slowed their pace as they walked between the rows of tents, and Naruto noticed that not a single person was without some form of battle damage. Despite that, he allowed himself some small comfort as some of the men and women recognised Mei and word soon spread through the camp of reinforcements coming, bringing a glimmer of hope back into many dull, lifeless eyes. Naruto let Mei take the lead as she marched towards the commander's tent, walking in without invitation and looking around the Spartan accommodations for a moment before settling on the tired, older man sitting slouched at a desk, nursing a bottle of sake.

Mei informed the man that she was relieving him of command, and he actually looked grateful, informing her that their original commander had died some two months earlier and they had been slowly moving down the chain of command ever since. Naruto watched as Mei breathed life into the remaining soldiers, shifting awkwardly as she introduced him and his friends and over three-hundred eyes stared with awe while she recounted their victories at the Shallow Sea. By the time noon rolled around, Naruto found himself sitting in on a war meeting, on the front lines of a civil war where they were vastly outnumbered, surrounded by shinobi more than twice his age all looking to him for guidance.

A large part of him felt awkward, reasons why he shouldn't be there flying through his head at a mile a minute, but as Mei, his friends, and Kakashi's team all looked at him, those thoughts were silenced by a much smaller voice. One that told him that he was right where he needed to be, fighting on the front line with those under his command fighting with him as they moved one step closer to ending the fighting.

 **A/N: Holy crap! Thirty chapters in forty-eight days! And to commemorate it, we get a sneak peak into the leader Naruto could be as he slowly comes into his own and adjusts to people looking to him. The war is going to be picking back up in the next chapter, and more questions will be asked about Baisho and what his goals are. I'm not too sure on what will happen exactly in the coming battles, except for one thing: there will be bubbles. Thanks for reading and reviewing, and as always, I'll see you next time!**


	31. Chapter 31

The Kiri bunker nearest No Man's Land was in a panic as silent explosions shook the ground while shinobi and samurai scrambled to turn the fight back around in their favour, albeit reluctantly, for the most part, in the case of the latter. They never saw the attack coming as the bubble of forced silence and the cover of an overcast night hid the attackers as they systematically took down every man who had been posted outside around the bunker. Years of traditional warfare had led to a generation of shinobi that believed in pack safety. Surely, when surrounded by a hundred fellow soldiers, there was no chance for a potential assassin to slip by them all.

This proved to be the downfall of the Kiri forces as they poured out of the bunker into the night, the shinobi and samurai splitting up as they tried to locate the attackers. The samurai, being even more traditional fighters than the shinobi, were no match for their opponent's guerrilla tactics and within an hour, fifty men and women were knocked out and bound to be taken prisoner while the shinobi only fared marginally better. The last of the Kiri shinobi fell as a bright blue streak zoomed from one end of the field outside the bunker to the other, cutting down the enemy in droves.

Naruto stood on the low roof of the bunker and flared his chakra to send the all clear signal. The sun had set roughly four hours ago, and the Rebel forces had already won their first victory. The men and women under Naruto's direct command were busy ransacking the bunker for much needed supplies while Fumio and one of his clones spoke to the captured samurai, figuring out who actually wanted to join their cause and who would make decent means of planting false information when they inevitably betrayed them again. So far, things were going according to plan as he listened to the reports of three other teams that were finished dealing with bunkers on the fringes of No Man's Land. They had lost a handful of men crossing the plains between the two mountain ranges, traps and the occasional patrol quickly reminding the Rebels why stealth was paramount over speed, but Naruto's bunker alone had provided them with more than twice the men they had lost before his clone transported Fumio to the next bunker.

Kakashi joined him on the roof as he looked up at the two mountains on either side of the bunker, and waited until Naruto nodded to speak. "Kamei says she's ready at the radio. Lee, Tenten, and Shikamaru have also reported in saying that they're in position and waiting on the order to proceed."

"Tell Kamei to wait until sunrise to send the message. That should give us time to heal or evacuate any wounded and rest up before they get here. As well as make sure that all our preparations are secured and in place."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Naruto," Kakashi said as he vanished in a burst of smoke.

"So do I," Naruto muttered to himself. He had spent the better part of the day with Mei, Shikamaru, and Itachi working out the kinks in their plan, and he could only hope that he hadn't missed anything otherwise he would be leading over three hundred brave men and women straight to their deaths.

*(OoO)*

There was an eagerness in the air as Sato Washi, Jonin Commander of the Kiri Forces stationed on the frontlines marched his twelve hundred shinobi and one hundred samurai north towards No Man's Land. Kiri had been churning out shinobi like it was nobody's business ever since the war started, people being all too eager to help in getting rid of those filthy bloodline clans, and with the help of the samurai, who Sato just loved to watch follow his orders, the angry scowls on their faces making it all the more entertaining, the Rebel forces barely stood a chance. Their every attempt at gaining ground always resulted in the opposite, as they were outmatched at every turn when confronted with Sato's superior numbers.

He had just received a report from one of the bunkers near No Man's Land that the Rebels were gathering for one last push. What they didn't know is that there had been a series of landslides just the night before, creating a bottle neck at the entrance into Kiri territory and a perfect opportunity to complete their claim of yet another island. The sun was well on its way west when they finally arrived in the canyon where they would meet the Rebels, but Sato narrowed his eyes when the army came to a halt and word reached him from the front that there was a lone boy sitting atop a large boulder directly in their way. Looking up at the four bunkers nestled in the corners of the mountains that made up the box canyon, Sato remained on guard as he made his way to the front.

"Hello there," the boy waved as Sato approached. He looked like a monk with his long, black staff, and baggy robes, but the sword strapped to his waist told Sato that he wasn't as defenseless as he seemed.

"Who are you?" Sato asked. "And what are you doing here?"

"My name's Kisuke," the boy responded, his blond hair danced in a passing breeze as he smiled childishly. "And I'm waiting for my friends. We're both from different villages on the island and this is where we normal-"

The boy was interrupted as Sato drew a kunai and dashed forward to press it against the boy's throat. "Don't lie, boy. We already burnt down all five villages on this island and sent the prisoners back to Kiri. Now, I'm going to ask again, who are you?"

The boy's blue eyes flashed with anger before returning to his flippantly happy demeanor. A moment later he disappeared without a trace and a loud rumbling sound drew the attention of Sato and his men up the mountainside. A series of explosions rocked the sides of the mountains surrounding them, originating at the bunkers, and chaos spread through Sato's ranks as house-sized boulders were dislodged from the walls of the canyon and fell toward them, crushing dozens of men and sealing them inside the canyon.

Out of the smoke from the explosions, hundreds of exploding kunai, and fireballs rained down on them, spreading more discord and sending Sato's men into a panic. Sweat dripped down his brow as he turned back to where the boy had been and saw one of the most infamous rebels of all. Her brown hair billowed in the wind as she heaved in a breath and unleashed a tidal wave of lava that fell down the sides of the mountains while a second lava user did the same at the back of the canyon, surrounding Sato and his men in a mote of molten rock.

The smoke finally cleared, even as the heat and toxic fumes from the lava took down even more of Sato's men, and his captains managed to regain a modicum of control when the enemy finally showed its face. Standing around the newly created cliff about two hundred feet up were the rebels, their numbers bolstered by several hundred samurai, and what looked like a squadron of armored lizards of various colours.

The sight of several hundred men and women screaming angrily along with the roars of the various dragons sowed fear like none other through Sato and his men, and, despite the fact that they still probably outnumbered their enemy, weapons were still thrown to the ground and hands raised into the air left and right as Sato's men surrendered, several of the samurai turning on his shinobi upon seeing their true brothers in arms standing above them.

Sato growled as a patch of lava hardened and the boy from earlier walked right up to him beside Mei Terumi herself.

"You all have a choice," Mei called out, her voice ringing through the canyon. "Join us in reunifying the Land of Water and ending the senseless slaughter of innocent people guilty only of being born, or face us in battle. We do not have the resources to take prisoners, and as such, any wishing to join us should leave your weapon on the ground and wait for someone to take you."

Immediately, a couple hundred of the men who had previously surrendered picked their weapons back up and started shouting all sorts of slurs. Sato smirked as Mei frowned and looked amongst his forces in disappointment. He watched as the boy reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, whispering something in her ear. Mei seemed to consider what he said before nodding.

The boy smiled and clutched his staff. The last thing Sato and any of the men and women who refused to surrender registered was a massive pulse of chakra and a red energy enshrouding the boy until pale green crystal rose from the ground and encased them all.

*(OoO)*

"There," Naruto panted. "They won't be causing us any more trouble now."

Turning around, he ignored the looks he drew and began to walk back to the nearest bunker, the sound of popping filling the air as the dragons dismissed themselves. He was joined by Tayuya, Haku, and Itachi as he crossed No Man's Land.

"So what happens now?" Haku asked as Kisame and Zabuza joined them.

"Now, we let Mei and Fumio take care of the remaining bunkers while working on our next step," Naruto replied.

"And what's that?" Tayuya incquired.

"We're gonna take the fight straight to Yagura," Naruto explained drawing varying degrees of surprise and confusion from his team.

"Do you really think that's the smartest move?" Zabuza asked. "Kiri is Yagura's home turf. The entire island is bound to be extremely well defended. I doubt we'd even get close enough for you to transport us there before we were blown out of the water."

"Yagura's men outnumber us, they have more wealth and weapons, and they have the typical lack of concern for collateral damage that shinobi are known for. In comparison, Baisho is unlikely to send us reinforcements –not that I want him sending a proxy to challenge Mei and Fumio's authority yet anyway –the Rebels are forced to live off the land and scavenge old battlegrounds for useable weapons, while Yagura is basically sponsored by the state, and the villages here are proof of the lengths they will go to in order to wipe us out."

"All I'm hearing are reasons not to go charging right into the village where the man who can transform into a giant turtle lives," Kisame grumbled. Naruto rolled his eyes and led them through the entrance of the relatively unscathed bunker nestled comfortably in the ground about ten kilometers from the canyon. He didn't say anything until they had gathered in the captain's quarters and placed a number of security and privacy seals around the room before slamming his hand on the ground, leaving a quick Hiraishin seal there as he vanished and reappeared with Tsunade holding his shoulder a couple minutes later.

"I see you're mission has spiralled into something massive once again," Tsunade observed as she looked around the room with a smirk.

"I called you here because I need your advice on something, Mom, as far as how to go about finishing my mission," Naruto said as he took a seat at the desk in the corner of the room while Tsunade sat down on the cot against the opposite wall.

"Shoot."

"There's a Hiraishin seal in Kiri." Eyebrows rose at the implication of what Naruto was saying, though they remained silent as he continued. "I've had a clone scouting the village since we entered the country, though without Corona to hide its presence it hasn't made too much progress yet."

"What have you found?" Tsunade asked.

Naruto turned to Itachi now as he spoke. "Do you remember when you said you met a man you thought might be Madara Uchiha who helped you with your mission to destroy the Uchiha Clan?"

Itachi nodded, his expression blank as he recalled the night he had thought his life as he knew it was over. "He was the one who actually commited the massacre. The only ones he didn't kill were my parents as I did that to protect Sasuke. Is he in Kiri?"

"He comes and goes as he pleases," Naruto reported. "My clones have been instructed to activate their Kunshugan as soon as they see him and keep it going until they run out of chakra, gathering as much information about him as possible."

"What have you learned?" Tsunade asked.

"He's not Madara Uchiha, that's for sure. In fact, though I don't know his I name, I do know exactly who he is based off his chakra signature."

"So you've seen him before then?" Kisame incquired.

Naruto shook his head. "No. But I have seen his chakra before. It's the same chakra signature that's flowing through Kakashi's implanted Sharingan."

Only Tsunade and Itachi were truly aware of the implications of this revelation and both reacted accordingly by narrowing their eyes and slipping into their roles of the Legendary Kunoichi and Prodigious ANBU Captain.

"Kakashi has never spoken about it, but it's well known among the higher ranked shinobi of the time that his old teammate, Obito Uchiha is the one who donated the eye after a mission went wrong. Kakashi had lost his eye less than an hour earlier, and when the cave they were in collapsed, Obito was crushed to death, gifting his teammate his eye with his dying breath," Itachi explained, bringing the others up to speed. "It would make sense, considering Kakashi's Mangekkyo ability is the Karui and that matches up with how this man fought."

"What do you mean?" Tayuya prompted.

"The way he fought, it was like he was a ghost. Attacks slipped through his body without damage, as if he wasn't there, before he moved to attack or disappear in a swirling hole of energy only to reappear elsewhere."

"This isn't good, particularly with Kakashi here," Naruto mused. "But that does make sense, considering what my clones saw after my Kunshugan matured further. The entire right side of his body has been supplemented using cells carrying great-grandpa Hashirama's DNA. They seem to be replacing the parts he lost and are providing him with a huge boost in strength, speed, and stamina, as well as giving him a watered down wood-release."

"How is that even possible?" Tsunade demanded. "My grandfather's remains are Konoha's closest held secret."

"I don't know, but it means that someone helped Obito after he supposedly died, and managed to turn him against Konoha."

Tsunade stood silently as she contemplated what to do. Part of her wanted to order Naruto back to Uzu for his own safety, but even she knew that with the powerhouses sitting around the room, two of whom were on par with herself, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru, even that side of her knew that she had no reason to. Swallowing her worry, Tsunade schooled her features and addressed Naruto as the Hokage of the Land of Fire, as well as one of the highest ranked members of the United Elemental Coalition.

"Chunin Uzumaki, your mission orders stand, however in the wake of this information, you are tasked with eliminating Obito Uchiha as a threat to Uzu and our Coalition. Take absolutely no chances against him and consider this your first S-Ranked contract. These orders supercede both your current mission orders and your efforts to liberate the Land of Water."

Naruto stood to attention and nodded seriously. Tsunade was taken back to Uzu, taking the time in the safety and privacy of her office to hold her son close and silently convey that she was thinking of him as they waited for him to return. Praying she wasn't sending her most precious person to his death.

*(OoO)*

Though not as big as the islands around the Shallow Sea, it still took Mei and Fumio significantly longer to clear out the thousands of Kiri forces around their island without drawing any attention from Kiri. It had been two months since the rather short battle of the canyon, and Naruto had recused himself from the efforts to exorcise the remanents of Yagura's forces, content to let Mei and Fumio bring in the glory with their hit and run attacks on the bunkers all over the island. Their biggest challenge came when they marched into a series of tunnels where the enemy had holed up. Though eventually victorious, the Rebels suffered their biggest loss yet since Naruto and his team joined them. If not for Tayuya and Haku, Naruto was sure he would have lost himself in his guilt over not helping more, but making preparations for their fight with Obito took precedence.

The majority of his time was spent within Kiri's walls, hidden under a transformation while Corona concealed his chakra as he spied on Yagura and observed Obito, taking every opportunity he could to watch them with his Kunshugan, almost always finding something new to file away when he eventually returned, eyes stinging and head throbbing from the exertion. Any time not spent gathering information was used for pushing his training even farther, Owryudan and the Embodiments drilling him into the ground as they worked to improve his skills while his clones worked in the captain's quarters.

The looming threat of dealing with a super-powered Uchiha that couldn't be touched understandably set Naruto and his team on edge, and he had to step in more than once to break up an altercation between Tayuya and Tenten. Even Lee was starting to avoid them as none of the team from Uzu participated in any of the battles after the canyon and each focused solely on bettering themselves for the coming fight. Shikamaru had taken over as the Rebels' strategist, and with his help, Mei and Fumio had yet to see defeat. Their forces grew slowly as more and more samurai joined their cause, word of Fumio's skill and leadership starting to spread, however they lost far more shinobi than they gained as Mei had been unable to force a surrender similar to the one she and Naruto had orchestrated and was already finding it difficult to keep the peace as men from both sides butted heads.

Naruto was sitting in a meditative pose on the roof of the bunker he and his team were currently squatting at, watching as a squadron of samurai marched across what used to be No Man's Land, when Kakashi appeared behind him.

"Strange," Kakashi noted teasingly, "I could have sworn that this roof would be deserted by the time I got here."

"You make it sound like I'm avoiding you," Naruto replied, closing his eyes and focusing on the natural energy around him.

"Really? Now, what possible reason could you have for avoiding me?" Kakashi asked, his lone, visible eye crinkling with a smile as he seated himself across from Naruto.

"Couldn't be the fact that you and your team are technically our prisoners and being forced to fight for us," Naruto replied coyly. "Or that our two villages are enemies and your leader wants to see my head on a stick because I outsmarted him one time and made him look bad."

"Well, those and the fact that you and your team are always hanging back while we go out and fight might be enough to make my cute little subordinates not particularly fond of you, but I get the feeling there's something more here. You're preparing for something, and it's going to be big, I can tell."

"Don't go looking digging for information unless your ready to dig up the corpses that come with it, Kakashi," Naruto warned.

"I've seen enough to know what I'm getting myself into," Kakashi replied. Naruto saw the hint of sorrow buried behind his jovial expression and sighed, slapping his hand down to create a quick silencing barrier, just in case.

"My mission has changed. There's an incredibly dangerous man in Kiri that I and my team have to take down before he becomes more of a threat to Uzu, the Land of Fire, and anywhere else under the protection of my Coalition. We've been training for when we face him."

"Who is he?" Kakashi asked.

"I think he might be the one behind this whole civil war in the first place," Naruto said, avoiding the question. "I've seen signs that Yagura's being manipulated by an outside force."

"So you have infiltrated Kiri," Kakashi surmised. "I was there when the Hiraishin seal was secretely placed within the village, I figured you would eventually find it. That aside, who would have the power to manipulate the Mizukage to such a degree without being found out."

Naruto paused as he tried desperately to figure out how to break the news to Kakashi. The man was already weighed down by his ghosts, and though Naruto thought he deserved to know his old teammate was alive, he didn't know how to tell him without completely breaking him. Kakashi was a good man and had the potentially to be a great friend and formidable ally, his ideals running extremely close to Naruto's own.

Kakashi seemed to pick up on Naruto's hesitance and reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. The moment they touched, Naruto felt a path of chakra shoot from his brain down to the point of contact and up Kakashi's arm towards his own skull while memories of Naruto's investigation surged through the link. The memories moved too fast for Naruto to grab a hold of and control, lest he accidentally let something slip that he couldn't risk Kakashi bringing back to Konoha and a clan full of mind readers, so he was thankful when his dad's chakra joined in and stemmed the flow, helping them pick and choose the information that would provide Kakashi irrefuteable proof of Obito's survival and corruption without giving anything else away.

Severing the connection forcefully, Naruto and Kakashi jolted away from each other, and upon seeing the tears streaming out of Kakashi's lone eye, Naruto turned his consciousness inward to give him time to compose himself.

 _What the hell was that?_

 _I'm not too sure,_ Kurama replied slowly. _But it might have something to do with your Kunshugan._

 _Really?_

Kurama nodded as Naruto appeared within the mindscape and lifted his son onto his snout with one of his tails. "There was a surge of chakra near your eyes before your chakra moved to connect you and Kakashi on a spiritual level by making use of your physical connection. This let you easily transfer thoughts and memories to him in an instant, and I'm guessing that with practice, you could make it go both ways."

"I'm pretty happy just having you in my head," Naruto replied, his mental projection leaning back to relax on his father's snout while he physically looked up to see a somewhat more composed Kakashi sitting in front of him.

"I want to come with you," Kakashi said. "If this is Obito, I need to face him and find out what pushed him down such a dark path."

Naruto shook his head, causing Kakashi's eyes to widen. "This is going to be the hardest fight of my life, and I'm not going to be allowing for there to be time for a meaningful conversation, especially if it would destabilize you and leave you open while giving him time to gather his wits. Our current plan is to attempt to subdue him, and you coming to help us could do a lot towards ensuring that happens, but we might only have one shot at this and I'm not wasting it."

Kakashi held his gaze for a couple minutes before finally relenting with a sigh. "Fine, I guess I can talk to him after we've captured him."

"If that's the case, you'll have to sereiously consider how badly you want to talk to him," Naruto explained seriously, every trace of the goofy prankster gone, replaced by the inscrutable, sharp-witted commander. "Because you will have to renounce your position as a Konoha shinobi and join Uzu and the Coalition to do so."

"Oh, why is that?" Kakashi asked, the slightest hint of anger slipping into his normally lazy tone.

"Because, if we manage to successfully capture him, he will become Uzu's prisoner, and we aren't about to allow anyone but our own to get anywhere near him. He doesn't have the political capitol to be worth that risk. We leave tomorrow," Naruto concluded, "do you still want to come with us?"

 **A/N: So I know I promised bubbles, and that is most definitely coming, but this was starting to get long and I figured that just before the Obito fight would be a decent place to separate things. Next chapter though, you're for sure getting another look into Naruto's tactical prowess as well as the infiltration of Kiri and Bubbles McGee himself.**


	32. Chapter 32

The silence hanging in the brisk, late afternoon air was broken only by the restless shifting of rock beneath their feet as Naruto and his team stood waiting on the flat edge of a cliff, near the top of one of the mountains decorating the island's landscape. Unsheathing Eclipse, Naruto closed his eyes as the memories of a dispelled clone came back to him.

"Get ready!" He shouted as he began generating sage chakra within himself. He still wasn't quite there, Owryudan explaining that he would know when he successfully entered his true Sage Mode when the darkened pigments around his eyes became fully formed, and the powerful chakra he created settled peacefully within his core.

Kneeling in a large square around him, Kisame, Tayuya, Haku, and Zabuza all started molding their chakra and flashing through an incredible amount of handseals, while Itachi and Kakashi readied their own weapons a step behind him. A solid minute passed, and the four of them were still flashing through handseals when Naruto received the memories of another fallen clone at the same instant that a man in a dark traveling coat with short black hair standing up over his one-eyed, swirling orange mask appeared before them.

The second he appeared, Naruto, Itachi, and Kakashi sprung into action, unleashing a flurry of attacks on the man, who simply stood there while their attacks passed harmlessly through him. This continued for about ten seconds before he noticed the four surrounding him, a second too late as they slammed their hands on the ground and large dome of black energy rose between them, encapsulating the four within and blocking out the majority of the sun's light.

Jumping back, Itachi and Kakashi watched as Naruto's blade suddenly bit into the masked man's right shoulder before they were separated by a vicious kick to Naruto's side. Itachi jumped in before Obito even had a chance to complete his counterattack, and was exchanging blows with him –shaking the air within the dome with their strength and intensity –before jumping back to create some distance and hurling a deluge of shuriken and kunai.

Obito countered after only an instant of hesitance born from becoming inured to those sort of attacks simply passing right through him, and matched Itachi's attacks throw for throw before getting nicked in the shoulder and thigh as he jumped to avoid a chidori from the below as Kakashi burst through the ground beneath his feet. He landed near the edge of the dome, and they could tell that he wasn't even winded from the exchange as the wounds on his body knit themselves closed, the torn clothing and bloodstains the only remaining mark that he had been injured.

"Itachi, how nice to see you again," he remarked in a deep, calculating voice, his mask not muffling the sound whatsoever. Itachi said nothing and simply narrowed his eyes as their opponent looked around the dome encircling him. "I must say, it was rather impressive of you to develop a barrier that blocks my Sharingan from activating. However, even with help, you're still centuries away from competing with the greatest son of the Uchiha Clan."

"Then it's a good thing we're just up against the deadlast crybaby of the Uchiha Clan, isn't it, Obito?" Kakashi replied causing Obito to turn his head and face him.

This provided Naruto the opening he needed as he teleported in front of Obito and launched into a flurry of attacks, dancing between styles as he unleashed the torrent of wind chakra he had been building up within Eclipse since his clone had notified him that it had begun to engage with Obito in an alleyway in Kiri, using the same trick he had used on Lee during the Chunin Exams to place a Hiraishin Seal on Obito and force him to be transported to their location by reversing the technique.

Obito's coat was torn to ribbons as he fought off Naruto with a blade from his sleeve only for the dark blades of energy, invisible in the low lighting, to rip through his flesh just a touch quicker than his enhanced healing could recover, draining him slowly of blood and chakra until Naruto jumped back once more, having suffered several injuries himself, which Kurama focused his energy on healing, particularly the piece of rib scraping against his lung, and Itachi and Kakashi jumped back in to keep the pressure on.

The pattern continued as Itachi and Kakashi would jump back and Naruto would rush in, his swift release, unpredictable fighting style, and Eclipse's wind and lightning releases doling out hundreds of small knicks and cuts while Obito only managed to land a few, though they were always quite painful as each one left either a bone fractured, or an organ impaled. At that point, Naruto would jump back and focus his and Kurama's energies on healing his injuries while replenishing the natural energy within himself, unaware of the constant thickening of the patchy, faded pigment around his eyes.

Eventually, Obito grew frustrated with their synchronised attacks, and the moment Naruto jumped away from his latest barrage, he slammed his hands together and molded his chakra. Thick, winding trees burst out of the ground and wrapped around the three of them as Obito panted tiredly. They had been at it for hours now, the sun having already set, making it near pitch black within the dome and straining his eyes as he struggled to keep track of his opponents without the benefit of his Sharingan improving his sight. The only flashes of light he got was when one of them used a fire or lightning technique, and that had the drawback of always making him temporarily blind ince the light faded and his eyes needed to readjust once more. On the bright side, Itachi and Kakashi seemed to be having the same problems, giving him more of a chance to fully recover from Naruto's onslaughts as the visibility waned, though the blonde jinchuriki was proving to be far more troublesome than he could have possibly anticipated as he moved unhampered through the darkness and matched Obito's improved stamina easily.

Keeping his palms pressed together, fingers intertwined, Obito pumped more and more chakra into the wood release, strengthening the bindings and slowly crushing his prey, even as Naruto cried out and started channeling the Nine-Tails chakra. Obito smirked as the red cloak disappeared beneath the power of his trees, only to frown as he realised he had fallen into yet another trap. Through the chakra powered wood, he could feel Naruto's chakra fight him for control, the addition of both the Nine-Tails chakra and his sage chakra easily giving Naruto enough of an opening to push all that power through the connection and into Obito, who's eyes widened when his right side stiffened, losing its mobility before releasing the technique as wooden tendrils burst out of him and forced his hands apart as they started growing and wrapping around him, crushing the life they had restored out of him until Naruto ceased the flow of his chakra and teleported in front of Obito, slamming his palm through the orange mask and burning a seal onto his forehead, sealing his chakra and stopping the growth of the parasitic tree as it blasted Obito into unconsciousness.

The barrier fell and, grabbing him by the shoulder, Naruto Hiraishined back to Uzu where Tsunade and Shizune were waiting to place Obito into a medically induced coma until they all returned from their current mission. Quickly hugging his mother and sister after allowing them to inspect him for any serious damage that Kurama had missed, Naruto popped back to the site of their battle ground, erased the Hiraishin Seal on the ground there and transported them all to the bunker where Mei and Fumio were currently staying about halfway into the island from where they had started. Ignoring the looks from Kakashi's team as he joined them, Naruto nodded to Mei and Fumio to follow him into the captain's quarters.

"What the hell happened to you?!" Mei yelled as she inspected the exhausted features of the four who held up the barrier, Kisame being the only one who didn't look more than winded, as well as Itachi and Naruto's battered and bloodied forms.

"That's not important at the moment," Naruto replied tiredly. "Go get yourselves, Ao, Chojuro, and two of your best samurai ready for battle. We're infiltrating Kiri."

*(OoO)*

Naruto was meditating on the roof of the bunker, preaparing himself for the mission into Kiri that would be taking place that night. Haku had joined him at some point in the night and was sleeping with her head in his lap when Naruto felt someone join him.

"So after two months of sitting on your asses, you're just going to swoop in and take all the glory for yourself?" Tenten asked angrily.

Naruto didn't say anything at first as he opened his eyes and allowed the rising sun to bathe him and Haku in its warmth. He gently raised her head off his lap and picked her up, walking past Tenten as he brought his sleeping girlfriend back inside where he handed her off to Zabuza. Tenten followed him the entire time, anger clear on her face as he went to the room where she and her team were staying and sat down next to Kakashi, who was nursing his multiple injuries from their fight with Obito the night before.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Naruto still ignored her as Kakashi opened his eyes and raised himself up to look at them. He and Naruto shared a look, before Kakashi finally nodded, resigned. Satisfied with his answer, Naruto turned around and finally addressed Tenten.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, I had hoped after getting along on our first joint mission, we could work together once more."

"We're not working together," Tenten growled. "You ambushed us and took us prisoner before forcing us to fight for you. I may not agree with what Kiri's doing, or Hiashi-sama's orders, but that doesn't mean I wanted to fight in a war while you sat back and watched. My village is suffering under a tyrant since you convinced Tsunade-sama to become a missing-nin and steal missions and funds, and now because of you we might get attacked in another war because Iwa and Kumo will see us as easy pickings."

Naruto sighed and turned to leave, silently promising that things would be better soon, ignoring the Kakashi's sympathetic gaze, as well as Shikamaru's curious and Lee's conflicted ones. Walking through the halls, he shoved down his guilt and returned the greetings of the Rebels with a smile as he passed on his way back to the roof of the bunker only to pause when he exited the door and turned to see… bubbles rising into the air about a mile to the east, behind some rocks.

Curious, he activated his swift release and transported himself there. When he arrived, he found a tall, thin young man with pale golden eyes and shoulder-length brown hair. He wore a long, light blue kimono that hung loose, exposing his bare chest while tied over grey pants with an orange sash. Tucked in his obi was a small bamboo container that Naruto could feel contained some sort of water-based solution. The man sat on a large, flat rock and was unfazed by Naruto's sudden appearance as he held a pipe to his lips and blew a large iridescent bubble out of it.

"So, you're the one that's had the Six-Tails all in a tizzy," the man said calmly as he watched the bubble float up into the air.

Belatedly, Naruto extended his senses, rousing Kurama from the slumber he had entered to expedite the recovery of the energy he had spent keeping Naruto alive during their fight with Obito, and was surprised to find that the man in front of him was in fact a jinchuriki like himself. Wracking his memory of the last time he read the Bingo Book, Naruto dredged up a namethat was associated with a bubble-blowing jinchuriki from Kiri: Utakata. Meeting his gaze, they both entered the shared mindscape, where Naruto was disappointed to see that while he was seated comfortably on his dad's snout, Utakata did not bring the Six-Tails into the meeting with them, preferring to keep it tightly locked away within its seal.

"Isn't it dangerous for someone like you to be anywhere near Kiri?" Naruto asked as he hopped down from Kurama's snout.

Utakata watched the way Kurama calmly watched them from behind Naruto, his furry tails curling around him as he curled up on the ground. "I could ask the same of you allowing the most dangerous of the Tailed-Beasts to roam free like that."

"I would be careful with your insinuations, human," Kurama rumbled. "You said it yourself, I am the most fearsome of my kin."

"Come on, Dad, I'm sure it's probably a surprise to most when they see you and me getting along," Naruto admonished, chuckling when his father huffed and ruffled his hair with the breeze his lungs generated. Turning back to Utakata, Naruto smiled. "Don't mind him, he's just grumpy because I woke him up after he just spent the past few hours keeping me from being beaten into a bloody pulp."

Kurama huffed and growled good-naturedly. "You're welcome, by the way."

Naruto rolled his eyes and held out his hand in greeting. "It's nice to meet you, Utakata-nii. My name is Naruto, and this," he jerked his thumb over his shoulder to the dozing beast behind him, "is my pops, Kurama."

Utakata shook Naruto's hand and took a seat, watching as one of Kurama's tails slithered out behind Naruto, wrapping him up in its tip and bringing the laughing boy back against the fox's body. "It's nice to meet you too, Naruto-san. Though, I'm afraid that I didn't come just to meet the new Jinchuriki that had entered my country."

"You're here because of Yagura, aren't you?" Naruto asked, growing serious even as he reclined against the furry wall behind him.

Utakata nodded. "I am still content with my decision to leave the Village of the Bloody Mist, but after traveling around the Elemental Countries and seeing the despair and chaos brought by countless wars and suffering, I decided to return and lend my strength to help at least put a stop to Yagura."

"And you figured that, as a fellow Jinchuriki, you would stand the best chance against him?" Naruto concluded. Utakata nodded and he continued. "And how does the Six-Tails feel about that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, that even though there's generally no love lost between Tailed-Beasts, have you ever asked the Six-Tails if it was willing to help you exterminate one of its kin."

"The Six-Tails doesn't speak to me, like the Nine-Tails does you. It constantly fights me for control of my body, and hurts me with its power just as much as it helps me. Besides, Tailed-Beasts don't die. They will eventually just reform after they have been destroyed."

"So, in order to murder a creature being used as a weapon against its will, you would use another the same way, ending the current threat while subjecting the world to never knowing when a walking calamity will suddenly appear and lay waste to its surroundings in its anger?"

Utakata stuttered momentarily and froze when Naruto's eyes morphed from their clear sapphire blue, to a swirling pattern of golden orange and royal blue, orbited by five golden triangles that spun equidistant around the glowing whirlpools. He felt a foreign chakra blast through him for a moment, and turned slowly when a massive presence appeared behind him.

Towering over him was the massive, slimy form of the Six-Tailed Slug. It loomed over them on its two stubby legs and its six mountainous tails oozed as they swung lazily while its eyes bent on their stalks to look down at them.

"So, you finally decide to come talk to me, huh?" It asked in a high-pitched voice from behind the barrier of its seal.

The surprises didn't end as Naruto fearlessly strode past Utakata into the seal and effortlessly leapt up onto the Six-Tails' snout, feet sinking into its squishy flesh as he waved at the eye that had bent back to look at him, the other still trained on Utakata.

"Actually, I'm the one that brought you here."

"You must be really stupid or really brave to approach me so carelessly, human," the Six-Tails remarked, its tone signifying that it was just as shocked as Utakata had been.

Naruto grinned and threw his thumb over his shoulder. "Funny, Dad said the same thing when we first met too!" The eye stalk watching Utakata bent and observed Kurama for the first time since it had arrived. The calamity in fox form hadn't moved from where he was dozing, but the twitch of his tails and the perk of his long, rabbit-like ears conveyed that he was closely monitoring the situation. Understanding the subtle warning, the Six-Tails turned its attention back on Naruto. "My name's Naruto, what's yours?"

"I would think that was obvious," the Six-Tails replied, flicking its tails and sending a shower of slime towards the ground which Utakata just barely dodged at the expense of getting much closer to Kurama than he would ever like to be.

Naruto tilted his head an eyebrow raised. "So, your name is Slimy?" He asked coyly, smirking when he got the reaction he was looking for.

The Six-Tails puffed itself up indignantly and turned both eye stalks on Naruto. "My name is _not Slimy!_ I am the Six-Tailed Slug, Saiken!" Freezing as it realized what Naruto had just done, Saiken watched as Naruto leapt off its snout with a smirk that transformed into a genuine smile as he bowed.

"It's an honour to meet you, Saiken." Rising up he pointed at the others present. "You already know Kurama-touchan, and your Jinchuriki, Utakata. I called you here because Utakata would like to ask you something."

"Is that so?" Saiken asked skeptically, turning its gaze to its Jinchuriki.

"Y-yes," Utakata stuttered as Naruto and Kurama watched him expectantly before recomposing himself. "It has come to my attention that I have been mistreating you in the use of your power. When you were sealed inside me, I was led to believe that you were a mindless beast, something that should be thought of as nothing more than a weapon to be used against my enemies. After seeing how Naruto-san and his tenant act around each other, and actually seeing and hearing you for the first time, it's painfully clear that I was misinformed. That being said, I'm sure you're aware of my mission to take down the Fourth Mizukage. He has caused untold amounts of suffering in my country, and as a fellow Jinchuriki of the Land of Water, I feel like it's my responsibility to do whatever I can to stop him. You are just as trapped in this situation as I am, but I'd like to ask you to please help me save my country."

Saiken watched them silently for several minutes before turning its eye to Kurama. "Kyubi, what do you have to say?"

"I already promised to help my Kit however I could," Kurama grunted. "He treats me with more respect than anyone but Father did, and doesn't see me as a weapon. Do what you want, but I can assure you that if you can't trust the bubble boy, you can trust that my son will ensure that you aren't mistreated. Sanbi is under the control of the Sharingan, and it very well could be that we will have to destroy him, but I'd rather resort to that than allow one of us to remain under the thumb of those accursed Uchiha."

Naruto and Kurama were forcefully ejected from the mindscape before Saiken could give them an answer, but judging by the look on Utakata's face, they were at least starting to make progress.

 _"Naruto!"_ Haku's voice cut through his thoughts, the urgency in her tone being the thing that brought him back to the physical plane in the first place. _"Naruto, we need your help! Tayuya… she's out of control!"_

"Come to the bunker as quick as you can," Naruto ordered as he shot to his feet and honed in on Tayuya's chakra signature. He could tell something was wrong when he felt a familiar taint in her chakra and transported himself to her location in an instant.

He landed and found Tayuya standing over a horrified Tenten, Lee crouched between the two, ready to strike in an instant while Shikamaru held her in place with his shadows and Haku watched worriedly. Jagged black lines covered her skin, originating from the back of her neck as she snarled at Tenten angrily. Acting fast, Naruto pulled out a slip of paper and slapped it on the back of her neck and gathered her in his arms, dispersing Shikamaru's shadows with a light flexing of his chakra. The lines across her skin receded back into the seal on her neck and he transported her and Haku away so that they could have a moment of privacy while she tried to regain her composure.

"It's okay," Naruto whispered. Haku came to wrap her arms around Tayuya's back, and this time Naruto felt the pulse of his Kunshugan as his chakra shot through his body and linked with theirs.

Tayuya and Haku gasped as they both felt each other's chakra within them. It felt like their souls were intertwining, conveying thought and emotion while Naruto's ocean-like presence surrounded them with his own comfort. Naruto and Haku both felt Tayuya's emotions and the internal struggle she fought to control herself. While she had never fought the power the Cursed Seal provided her when under Orochimaru's command, once she had been freed of his clutches and joined Naruto, she had decided to stop using the tainted power source, especially once she learned some of the details surrounding it.

The downside now was that the seal would sometimes flare and try to overwhelm her, messing with her emotions and filling her with a burning pain. She had done a good job of hiding her struggle, but after two months of dealing with Tenten's ire at their lack of participation in the war they brought her into, she finally snapped and the seal took the opportunity to start corrupting her.

"As long as that paper stays on, it won't be able to do anything to you," Naruto whispered as he slowly pulled his chakra back and broke the strange, yet undeniably euphoric, connection the three had shared. "I swear I'll figure out a way to get rid that snake's taint off of you and Hebi-hana."

Tayuya nodded and the three of them spent the rest of the day together, away from the bunker, simply basking in each other's presences while occasionally exchanging kisses of varying degrees of passion. Neither Haku nor Tayuya found it terribly odd to kiss the other between each of their turns kissing Naruto. After sharing that strange connection they both felt something for each other that was second only to the boy laying between them.

When the sun had finally set, Naruto transported them directly to the captain's quarters where Mei, Chojuro, Ao, Fumio and her two samurai (a tall willowy woman named Kyoshi, and a shorter bulky man by the name of Masada), Utakata, Itachi, Zabuza, and Kisame were already waiting for him.

"So, what's our plan?" Ao asked as Naruto strolled by him to spread a map of Kiri and the island surrounding it on the desk. They all gathered around the map as Naruto pointed to Kiri first.

"There's are three Hiraishin Seals in and around Kiri. The first is here," he pointed to the map right near the eastern edge of the village. "Zabuza, Haku, Tayuya, and Ao are Blue Team. You will be going there and wait for my signal. The second is here, near the southern edge of the island. That's the slaver camp we were sent to infiltrate in the first place. Kisame, Utakata, Chojuro, Fumio, and her men are Red Team and will go there and start freeing the prisoners, while Green Team, somposed of Mei, Itachi-sensei, and I will go to the third, here." He pointed to the dead center of the map. "The Mizukage's office. Once inside, we will locate the Mizukage an Itachi-sensei will try to use his Sharingan to break the control over him. There are two possibilities of what will happen next: either Yagura will return to his senses, or he loses his rational thought and devolves into a mindless beast. Either way, we know that we can expect a fight from him as the prejudice against the bloodlines precedes his rein as Mizukage, but we can expect a whole lot less collateral damage if Yagura is in control of his faculties.

"Either way, when we inevitably have start fighting him, I will transport him and myself to Red Team's location where you will keep him occupied while I go back for Mei and Itachi. Once that's done, Chojuro, Fumio, and her samurai will focus on the slavers and the prisoners while Mei, Kisame, Itachi, Utakata, and I deal with Yagura. Fumio, once the prisoners are free escort them here, one mile west of the camp where I've left a massive, one-time transport seal that is only keyed to yours and my chakra. Make sure every last prisoner is within the confines of the seal, and channel your chakra into it. That will transport them to the Rebel base near the border where Kitani will be waiting.

"Once that's done, Kyoshi, Masada, and Chojuro will take a smaller transport seal that will bring them to Blue Team's Hiraishin Seal so as to provide back up while you come back to support the rest of us against Yagura. If all goes well, we should be able to dismantle Kiri's leadership which will sow chaos within the rest of their ranks and make cleaning up the rest of their forces easy as Blue Team leads the first assault on the village proper. Your targets will be food stores, information centers, and any other places of interest you may find. Besides those targets, you are to cause as little collateral damage to the village or its civillians while taking down every shinobi in your path."

"What's the signal we're looking for?" Zabuza asked.

"Either the giant turtle appearing and wreaking havoc on the south side of the island, or my word over the voice seal," Naruto replied, drawing wry grins from those around him. "If everyone is ready, we leave now."

Seeing everyone nod and split up into their respective teams, Naruto approached Blue Team first, seemingly flickering in place as he transported them their designated position and returned in less than a second before doing the same with Red Team, and finally approaching Itachi and Mei.

"Here goes everything, I guess," he said with a wry grin.

"Naruto-kun, I and my men believe in you," Mei said reassuringly as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Before you showed up, we were resigned to a pointless death trying to accomplish a hopeless mission. I was constantly weighed down by the guilt of knowing that my men were being sent to their deaths because _I_ was being punished. But then you showed up, and suddenly everything turned around. You've led us into situations that should have been impossible and come out successful with few to no losses, and even after you recused yourself for these past couple months, the things I learned in the short time fighting by your side helped me lead my own men to victory without having to sacrifice so much. If anyone can lead us through this, it's you."

Naruto smiled and turned to face Itachi as he also put a hand on his shoulder. "You've given me a second chance to fight for peace. Your charisma and compassion are only matched by your tactical brilliance, and after seeing you handle Obito the way you did, I'm confident that we will succeed in defeating Yagura."

Nodding resolutely, Naruto channeled his chakra once more and transported them to the Hiraishin Seal his clone had put within an empty room just down the hall from the Mizukage's office. Casting a powerful illusion over them to hide their presences, Itachi approached the door and cracked it open, looking out into the hall. He waited until the coast was clear, using another illusion to make the young woman sitting at the desk just outside the office think that she had heard Yagura's voice dismiss her for the night with orders to lock up on her way out.

The coast clear, he waved Naruto and Mei out into the hall, quietly closing the door behind them as they crept down the hall. Unsealing a lockpick from one of the seals on his robe, Naruto picked the lock as quietly as he could, sensing that Yagura was standing on the other side of his office, looking out into the village.

"Did you really think I wouldn't anticipate an attack?" His deeper voice contrasted with his young appearance as the Fourth Mizukage didn't even bother to turn around when they opened the door and snuck inside. Dispelling the illusion, Itachi started analysing Yagura with his Sharingan while Mei stalled for time.

"You always were paranoid, Yagura."

"One has to be when surrounded by things like you," Yagura replied calmly. Naruto looked up at Itachi and felt his heart sink when Itachi shook his head minutely. Yagura was not under the control of anyone, at least, not currently. This relentless slaughter sweeping through the Land of Water was entirely of his own volition. "I don't know how you found your way into my office, but I will save that for after I have disposed of at least two of you."

 _"Red Team has begun freeing the slaves,"_ Kisame whispered over the voice seal. _"They're being kept inside a big warehouse, and we've already dispensed of the guards. Utakata and I will be back at the seal in two minute-"_ the sound of flesh tearing and a man screaming rang through the seal _"-actually, make that a minute and a half."_

"How did you know we would be coming for you?" Naruto asked.

"I've been feeling your chakra signature popping in and out for weeks now. I don't know how you did it, but it was clear you were conducting reconnaissance. In fact, my men are descending upon your forces right now."

A loud bang shook the village, and Naruto felt tiny chakra signatures rush in far too efficient a manner towards their homes for this not to be a recurring incident. Mei gasped and Itachi narrowed his eyes as Yagura finally turned and grabbed for the giant hooked club strapped across his back as a cruel smirk crinkled the thin scar that descended from his left eye along his cheek. Naruto's own scar from his fight with Hidan prickled as he realized the similarity between the two. He growled as Yagura hefted the club and pointed it at them, before using his swift release to get behind Yagura, knowing this would be his only chance to catch the Mizukage off guard, and transported them to the slaver camp where Kisame descended from the air, Samehada tearing through where Naruto was standing as he teleported back to Mei and Itachi.

"Itachi, what did you find?"

"There's signs that he has been controlled, but it has happened so often and for so long that his brain has been affected. He is no longer under a genjutsu, and I doubt he has been for some time."

Naruto nodded and grabbed him and Mei, bringing them back to where Kisame and Utakata were struggling to keep up with Yagura as he evaded their attacks and reflected their techniques back at them with a series of strange, floating mirrors. The moment they arrived, they entered the fray, pushing Yagura to his limits as a red cloak of chakra started leaking out of him. He batted away Samehada with ease and leapt at Utakata, who now wore his own chakra cloak, while Naruto jumped up and unsealed Corona from the seal he had placed on his left arm, and started gathering natural energy once he landed. The pigments around his eyes darkened, and the markings started to have a concrete shape and design when Naruto reached the limit of his control and stopped gathering energy to return to the fray.

Yagura had quickly picked up on their desire to protect the prisoners still being freed, and capitalized on it as he kept orienting himself to reflect their techniques towards it, forcing them to either block their own attack or dodge and risk hurting Fumio and her samurai, who were by the large double doors fighting off waves of slavers while Chojuro remained inside freeing the slaves. Because of this, they were forced to resort to close-quarters combat, with only Itachi and Naruto being able to actually maneuver between the slavers attacking them and Yagura's attacks to try and land a solid blow, which would quickly heal thanks to the Three-Tails' chakra. Naruto was forced to summon his own chakra cloak as Yagura developed his first tail and increased his strength exponentially.

"You're strong, I'll give you that!" Yagura shouted as the larger of the two hooks tore through the air and pierced Naruto's thigh. "But I have decades of experience over you, and just like your little friends back in Kiri, I'll wipe you out as well!"

"Are you still on about that?" Naruto asked, grabbing the hook and pushing his leg forward off of it to kick Yagura across the face. Yagura ducked his head, but went skidding across the ground anyways as Naruto's senjutsu chakra hit him. Landing on his good leg, he shifted into his wind style and started spinning, throwing gusts of wind, both concussive and razer sharp, to keep the pressure on while letting Kurama heal his leg. Itachi dispatched a slaver who had tried to bludgeon him to death with ease and blurred forward to help Naruto as Yagura pushed himself to his feet and snarled. "In case you didn't realise, Mizukage-sama, that explosion was your men dying to the trap I left there."

Yagura snarled and dropped his club as the second tail sprouted from his back while his chakra cloak swelled over the rest of his spine, looking not unlike the turtle it belonged too. Faster than Naruto could have anticipated, Yagura charged him, a clawed hand poised to impale him, only for the armor beneath Naruto's tattered robes to spring into action and move to cover him properly once more. Yagura's hand crumpled as it smashed into the metal, crunshing as his fingers broke from the impact while Naruto was sent flying back.

 _This couldn't have activated when I was fighting Kakashi's homicidal teammate?_ Naruto thought before dashing back in as Yagura jumped over Kisame and picked his club back up and spinning it to smack Utakata, who had branched off to cover Fumio and the others by trapping the slavers in large bubbles, in the face and send him skidding across the ground.

Creating a pillar of crystal, Naruto caught Yagura's leg as he leapt into the air, setting him off balance and giving Naruto the chance to create another pillar with a kick into the air, following it up by using Corona to engage in an intense bojutsu match with Yagura as he freed himself. Thanking his armor for finally deciding to be helpful as he took a crushing blow to his sternum and was sent rolling through the dirt, coming to a stop next to Itachi while Kisame and Mei engaged him.

"My Sharingan is failing to supress the Three-Tails chakra," Itachi informed him. "I can only assume that the damage to his brain has rendered him immune to my abilities."

"I know for a fact that I'm still not good enough with the wood release to do it either," Naruto replied. "I do have a plan though."

Kisame was sent skidding into them, leaving a deep trench in the ground, and as he pulled himself out he scowled at Naruto. "We're not going to like this, are we?"

"Nope. We need to get him to release the Three-Tails."

"Are you out of your mind?" Mei screeched as she too was thrown in their direction. "We can barely stand up to him now!"

"True, but he won't be able to use any techniques if he transforms into the Three-Tails," Naruto countered, biting his thumb and slamming it into the ground. In a burst of smoke, Ryukazi appeared in her childlike human form.

"Hey Naruto-kun! What's up?"

"I figured that you would also want a turn helping me fight against impossible odds," Naruto replied with a cheerful smile.

"Yeah I do!" Ryukazi exclaimed, turning to the snarling Yagura as his third tail manifested and the red chakra darkened, covering him completely as it transformed him into a roaring miniature Three-Tails. A second burst of smoke and Ryukazi transformed into her own bestial form, looking like a cross between a bird and a typical dragon as bright green feathers covered her body in the place of scales and long razor sharp talons tipped her two feet.

Unfurling her massive wings –their span easily stretching over two hundred meters –Ryukazi took to the sky with a mighty flap, the ensuing gale destroying huge swaths of land and throwing the slavers, both bubble-encased and not, through the air.

It seemed that Naruto's ploy worked as the already impressive chakra Yagura had been giving off was dwarfed by the amount he suddenly released with a roar. Naruto had never faced something so powerful, the power easily making Shukaku's pale in comparison.

 _How is there this big a difference between this and Shukaku?!_

 _Because, Kit, the Three-Tails is four times more powerful than Shukaku. Each subsequent tail's worth of chakra is worth twice the last._

 _That's insane! So when you channel your power through me, it must be a fraction of the energy so that my body doesn't start to turn into yours, right? Imagine how strong we could be if I had access to it all without transforming!_

 _Contemplation for another time, Kit, focus on the giant turtle trying to reduce everything to dust._

There was an explosion of chakra, and they were all forced to run back several hundred meters as the wave of solid energy poured out. The sphere of power grew before it faded and revealed a massive turtle protected by a shell that more resembled that of a crab. Its greyish green armor was covered in spikes, with red muscle-like tissue underneath, and three long shrimp-like tails furled behind it. It had arms and hands resembling a human's and no hind legs, while its sole red eye peeked out from behind the spiked armor on its forehead and lower jaw.

Naruto spotted Fumio leading her group and the prisoners into the nearby forest and sighed knowing that at least they had managed to save some people from the destructive wrath of the Three-Tails. Ryukazi swooped down and tried to damage it with a hurricane of bladed wind, but the Three-Tails didn't even flinch as the attacks glanced harmlessly off it.

"Mei!" Naruto shouted over the monstrous turtle's roaring as it tried to swipe at Ryukazi as she dive-bombed it over and over. "We need to restrain it!"

Nodding, Mei inhaled and unleashed a deluge of lava at one of the Three-Tails' giant clawed hands while Naruto stomped the ground and swung his arms up, creating a stream of lava underneath the other, slowly spreading them apart to make the lava flow spread accordingly until the building-sized hand sunk into the pool beneath it. Naruto and Mei continued piling lava on its legs as he felt a two pulses of chakra followed by a third as Fumio rejoined them in a streak of bluish-white light that zipped all over the Three-Tails, finishing on its lone open eye where it finally reacted, throwing its head back as Fumio slashed across the giant eyeball before zipping to a place next to Naruto.

"My attacks can't pierce its shell!" She cried as the veil of chakra around her faded.

"It's a giant turtle!" Kisame shouted. "Why are we surprised by it being hard to damage?!"

Finally having enough of Naruto and Mei dousing it with molten rock while Ryukazi pelted it with her attacks, the Three-Tails roared, shaking the ground beneath them, and ripped its legs out of the solidifying lava while raising its head and opening its mouth. Its tails curled behind it to point just above its gaping maw and they were all forced to watch as spheres of blue and red energy began gathering in front of its face to form a roiling mass of solid chakra.

 _Kit, it's creating a Tailed Beast Bomb, there's no way anyone can survive one of those things!_

Shooting into the air on a small tornado, Naruto channeled four tails of his own, vaguely noticing that they were sprouting from his shoulder blades and that there were additional metal disks floating in the chakra cloak as he landed on Ryukazi's head.

"He's pointed at the village!" Naruto shouted.

"Don't worry, I've got a similar trick up my sleeve." Spreading her wings, Ryukazi began to glow as pale green energy coalesced in front of her own mouth in a solid mass of nature energy and wind chakra. The Three-Tails roared and launched the Tailed Beast Bomb, its tails slamming back and creating shockwaves that destroyed everything in their path before reaching the edge of the island and gouging three wide trenches in the water. The mass of chakra glowed as it hurtled towards them and Ryukazi let out what could only described as a cross between a roar and a monstrous bird call as her own sphere of chakra glowed and exploded out in a beam of light that pierced the Tailed Beast Bomb and engulfed it, throwing the ensuing explosion back towards the Three-Tails as it slammed into its shell and sliced right through it with the force of an atomic bomb. Seeing his opportunity to end this, Naruto leapt off of Ryukazi's back, pumping more chakra into the disks surrounding him and manifesting his ethereal plate armor as he pointed Corona down and slammed it through the titanic reptile's rapidly healing shell, piercing right into its flesh with a scream.

An explosion bigger than the last swept through the area, though this one caused little destruction as it filled the night sky with the light of a sun before imploding in on itself, shrinking rapidly until it disappeared and the Three-Tails was nowhere to be found. In its place lay Yagura, dead from the strain of releasing the creature sealed within him, and Naruto not far behind, breath shallow and uneven as he lay in the massive crater, the seal on his stomach swirling rapidly.

 **A/N: I'm still not totally confident in my skills at writing anime style fights, so I'm unsure about this chapter having two major ones in it, but hopefully you guys liked it anyway. I know there wasn't a terribly large amount of Utakata, but he was mostly there for the interaction with Saiken, and by the time they were fighting Yagura, it became a matter of too many cooks, so he sorta faded into the background there. Worry not, though, because he and all the Jinchuriki do have significant roles in the future, so he will be back. This also marks the end of the Land of Water arc, so I hope to see you guys next time as we return to Konoha and see how it has changed under Hiashi's rule.**


	33. Chapter 33

Tayuya paced back and forth in the hall outside Naruto's room in Uzu. She had been fighting with Haku after torching yet another file room in Kiri when the entire village shook with a series of explosions from the pair of fighting monsters on the southern edge of the island. The last one was the largest of all and the light from it lit up the entire island as the ground felt like it would shake apart. When it had faded, the Three-Tails was gone without a trace and the Kiri forces started to lose morale as the idea of something powerful enough to beat their leader's trump card injected fear into their souls. It wasn't until they had managed to get out of Kiri, their job done as food stores and various other important buildings burned at their backs, and met up with everyone else in the massive crater that used to be the slaver camp that Tayuya found a Naruto who was near-death, struggling to breathe on the ground as Itachi examined him. As soon as they surmised that whatever Naruto had done was hindering his accelerated healing, Tayuya and Haku had rushed to his side, holding his hands even as Ryukazi offered to bring them all back to Uzu where Tsunade could help him.

They had arrived three hours ago and Tsunade hadn't left Naruto's room yet and the only ones who had been allowed in with her were Jiraiya and Yazawa. Haku was the only thing keeping her from going insane or barging right in there. Whatever had happened before they left for Kiri had affected their relationship, and it felt almost like she and Haku had developed some sort of bond that allowed them to better understand and soothe each other without even having to speak. Finally, after another hour and a half of waiting impatiently, the door opened and Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Yazawa exited the room.

"How is he?" Tayuya asked. She could almost feel the other girls close to Naruto's anxiety through the voice seal. All of them were out on missions, and were waiting impotently as Tayuya and Haku relayed everything they were told through the seals Naruto had given them. Yet another example of how much he mattered and connected people's lives, despite what he thought himself.

"He's stable," Tsunade replied. "I've taken care of the worst of the damage. Now it's up to him to recover the rest of the way."

"Do you know what happened to him?" Haku asked. "Why didn't his healing work this time."

"Near as we can tell, it's because almost all of Naruto and Kurama's chakra is being devoted to repairing the damage to his chakra coils after sealing the Three-Tails inside himself," Jiraiya explained.

"What?! How is that even possible?" Tayuya exclaimed.

"We'll have to wait until Naruto awakens to explain it to us," Yazawa replied. "But it looks like he used his staff as a catalyst to absorb the Three-Tails chakra, and by extension the creature itself, into himself. It put phenomenal strain on his chakra coils, but even as we examined him, there were indications of it repairing itself, and even adjusting to having a second Tailed-Beast within him."

"What do you mean by that?" Haku incquired.

"Part of the reason why Naruto has unnaturally large chakra reserves, even for an Uzumaki, is because having Kurama inside him and slowly siphoning his potent chakra through the seal made Naruto's chakra pathways adapt to handling monumental amounts of energy," Jiraiya elaborated. "When the entire chakra of the Three-Tails coursed through him, it stretched his pathways nearly to the breaking point, as a result, his body is healing in a way that will allow him to safely handle that amount of energy in the future while his chakra reserves adapt to the expanded pathways by growing larger than they were before."

"So, absorbing the Three-Tails isn't just going to give Naruto-kun a _second_ impossibly large pool of extra chakra to use, but his own chakra reserves are going to be much larger as well?" Tayuya concluded. She scoffed when the three in front of her nodded and passed them as she and Haku walked into Naruto's room to sit with him, muttering the whole time about ever-growing gaps.

*(OoO)*

 _Click click._

 _Click click._

Naruto groaned as he returned to consciousness. It had been significantly harder than he and Kurama had anticipated to bring the Three-Tails, who he learned was named Isobu, within his seal and repair the damage done to his chakra network. They had eventually fixed his mindscape up, and Isobu was now comfortably situated within a newly formed lake not too far from the glade where Kurama usually slept.

 _Click click._

 _Click click._

Now that he was finally back in the physical plane, he had to stifle a groan as he was suddenly aware of the injuries he had suffered in his last battle and didn't want to wake the three masses curled on either side and on top of him. He could already tell that Tayuya and Haku were the ones at his side –their chakra signatures had been as easy to feel out as his own ever since he had linked the three of them together after calming Tayuya down –and the one laying on his chest had to be Guren, meaning he had been out for several days as he was aware that she had been out on a mission while he faced off against Obito and Yagura.

 _Click click._

 _Click click._

Finally opening his eyes, Naruto turned his head toward the unfamiliar sound and nearly shouted when he saw that he had a fourth, unexpected visitor.

"You-"

"Quiet now, dear, we wouldn't want to wake your little friends, now would we?"

Lowering his voice, Naruto composed himself before continuing. "You're the woman I met in the capital. Sentori, right?"

Sentori chuckled and rocked in the chair she was seated within. She had a ball of yarn in her lap and was knitting some sort of scarf of blanket, though Naruto had a hard time figuring out just what colour the fabric was as she wove it into shape.

"I'm happy to hear that you remember me after only one conversation, Naruto-kun."

Something about Sentori's calm, cheerful demeanor set Naruto at ease in the same way Tsunade did when he first met her. Though that feeling didn't last very long. Where Tsunade always gave off an aura of caring, even when she was acting in her role of sensei or Hokage, that made Naruto feel safe and welcome, Sentori's lacked the intrinsic maternal comfort that his mother provided. There was still kindness and generosity in the elderly woman's eyes, but he spied a hidden intelligence and power that made her see him as less than her.

"I would have thought you were in the capital when it was destroyed."

"I've been around for quite a while," Sentori replied. "It would take more than the machinations of madmen to get rid of me."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, pulling his girls closer instinctually. "So, why are you here?"

"I was simply curious to see what you would do with Isobu-kun after sealing him inside your body."

"How do you know his name?" Naruto asked. "It took a solid day of coaxing before he felt comfortable enough to come out of his shell and tell me."

"I know the name of most creatures," Sentori replied vaguely. "And I must say, your little plan surprised me. Something that does not happen terribly often these days."

Naruto had no idea how she knew what he was planning on doing, but he pushed that aside, figuring that he wouldn't get a response even if he asked. "Yeah, well, there are still a few kinks to work out."

"Perhaps I can help with that," Sentori said, standing up and walking over to his bed. She raised a knarled hand up to his forehead and gently pressed her fingertips against him. Naruto had to close his eyes as a surge of information entered his mind. When he opened them again, Sentori was gone and Guren was stirring on his chest.

She, Tayuya, and Haku awoke and Naruto pulled them close, giving each a kiss as the door opened and Tsunade entered the room. She smiled when she saw her son finally awake, and her chest swelled at the amount of love flowing off of the four of them. Wrapping him in a hug as the girls helped him sit up and lean against the wall, Tsunade sat down in the chair near his desk.

"Good to see you're finally awake, Naru-kun."

 _Good to be awake,_ Naruto signed. _Though I feel like Dad decided to do jumping jacks on me in a pool of lava._

"I'm not surprised," Tsunade's smile faded and her eyebrows knit together. "What were you thinking, sealing the Three-Tails inside you? You could have died!"

 _I figured that there was a giant turtle that needed to be stopped before it wiped Kiri off the map. Speaking of which._

They all watched wide-eyed as Naruto put his hands in the ram seal and his chakra cloak sprung into being, two tails already floating behind him, though one of them looked more like the Three-Tails' shrimp-like tail than Kurama's normal fox tails.

Gathering his chakra, Naruto scrunched his face in concentration and the cloak vanished as twin puffs of smoke burst on the floor between them. The smoke cleared, and standing on the ground were miniature versions of Kurama and the Three-Tails –though in this case, miniature still meant that they were about the size of Ryuda when they had first met him.

"Hello again, Tsunade," Kurama's voice came out of the replica and Tsunade nodded her head in greeting. She watched as Naruto gently left the girls' embrace and crouched down next to the Three-Tails, who had receded into its shell and was staring at them all warily.

"Isobu, this is my mom. Why don't you say hello?"

Isobu poked its head out of its shell and looked between Naruto and Tsunade with its one open eye. "H-Hello, Tsunade-san. I-I'm Isobu."

Eyebrows raised at the sight of one of the mighty Tailed-Beasts acting so timidly, especially considering the deep gravelly tone with which it spoke. Naruto then started going through hand seals, a rarity that drew everyone's attention and when he finished there were a pair of identical seals on the palms of his hands that Tsunade had never seen before. He pressed them against both Kurama Isobu's necks and there was a surge of chakra as the seals transferred onto both of them.

"Naruto," Guren asked as Naruto pulled his hands back. "What did you do?"

"Something that no human has ever done without the intention of destroying another," Kurama replied. "He's set us free."

"What?!"

*(OoO)*

Naruto found himself seated in Tsunade's office, Kurama and Isobu sitting on either side of him while Tsunade sat behind her desk joined by Danzo, Fujika, Yazawa, and Jiraiya.

"So, explain to us," Danzo growled, "what you were thinking when you let loose two of the most powerful creatures to walk this earth, and our most useful weapons."

Kurama growled and rose to his feet but was beaten to the punch as Naruto's chakra created a pressure that made even Tsunade sweat, she looked to Fujika in concern only to see the princess perfectly fine, despite the fact Yazawa was reacting similarly to her, Jiraiya as well, while Danzo struggled to remain standing as he was the focus of Naruto's ire.

"That's my father you're talking about, Danzo-san," Naruto growled. Just as quickly as it came, the pressure of it was gone and Naruto turned his attention back to Tsunade. "While I was in the Land of Water, I met another Jinchuriki named Utakata. After speaking with him, I realised just how unfair it was for great-grandpa to seal away Dad and the other Tailed-Beasts. I know he wanted to use them as a way to prevent war, but not only is it not fair to use sentient beings in such a way, his plan was flawed from the start. So while Dad and I were repairing the damage that absorbing Isobu caused, we contemplated the best way to free him without everyone losing their minds over the loss of the tactical advantage he provides us."

"I've seen you do this once before," Jiraiya said. "Back in Konoha, you created a shadow clone using Kurama's chakra and that transferred his consciousness into it. Is that what happened here?"

Naruto nodded. "Yup. Dad and Isobu have only one Jinchuriki's tail worth of their chakra, and their minds are still linked to mine. I then came up with a plan after reviewing some of my observations of the Curse Seal and figured out how to make a seal that works similarly to how Corona does. That way, so long as they don't over exert themselves, Dad and Isobu should be able to maintain their forms by absorbing natural energy to fuel them the same way a Tailed-Beast would normally."

"We figured the smartest way to earn our freedom would be to leave most of our power within the Kit," Kurama explained. "We'll have to keep observations on the effects of having two masses of chakra separate from his own inside him without Wills to control them, as well as get to work on training him to control our chakra without our help, though."

"A-And Kurama-nii and me also still want to help Naruto!" Isobu added. "He wants to help all of the Tailed-Beasts and humans, so we promised to keep fighting with him."

"How did you know absorbing Isobu into yourself would even work in the first place?" Yazawa asked.

"I wasn't completely sure," Naruto admitted sheepishly. "But my father developed the seal to hold half of Dad's chakra. I had thought it was destroyed when I had to free Dad to fight off Orochimaru's Cursed Mark, but it turns out it was still there, just unused. So, I figured if it could hold half of Dad's chakra, that means it can fully hold any of the other Tailed-Beasts, seeing as Dad's twice as powerful as the Eight-Tails. After that it was just a matter of using Corona as the catalyst to absorb Isobu into me, and fixing my chakra network. Once that was done, and Isobu had calmed down, we developed the plan to set them free."

"So long as we have not lost the power the Tailed-Beasts grant us, I suppose there is nothing else we can do," Danzo said, appeased with the answer Naruto had been rehearsing since before he had freed Kurama and Isobu. "Moving on, I do wish to know how you managed to defeat Obito Uchiha, and what we plan on doing with him."

"The first thing I needed to take care of was his Sharingan," Naruto explained. "So Tayuya, Kisame, Itachi, and I worked on developing a barrier that prevented chakra from being molded into the eyes. Without his Sharingan, and stuck in the darkness the barrier created, I was the only one left able to see perfectly, since the Kunshugan improves my regular eyesight as well without having to be activated. After that, it became a battle of attrition.

"Obito is a really powerful shinobi, even without the Sharingan, and had great-grandpa Hasirama's cells, meaning he was fast, strong, and had stamina by the gallon as well as access to the wood release. The only problem is, great-grandpa's DNA and chakra are incredibly hard to control, so is the wood release. All I had to do was wither him down, and make him waste energy on healing the small injuries I gave him while Itachi and Kakashi covered for me so that Dad could heal me. Eventually, he got frustrated and used his wood release to trap us. I used that opportunity to pump a mixture of my sage chakra and Dad's chakra back through the trees, and the surge of life energy destabilized Obito's implanted cells, forcing him to be trapped as they grew into a tree around him until I used one of the chakra seals we use on prisoners to seal it away and stop the growth of the tree around his body."

"We have finally cut away most of the wood surrounding him," Tsunade said. "It was a delicate procedure, considering whoever used my grandfather's cells to help him also used them to replace organs as well as limbs. He's currently in a medically induced coma until we decide what we want to do with him."

"Clearly he is the man Konan said had been manipulating Nagato," Jiraiya remarked. "So we would do well to interrogate him and find out what Akatsuki's true goals are."

"Could it wait until I get back from Konoha?" Naruto asked. "Kakashi swore his loyalty to us in exchange for an opportunity to speak to Obito, and I think he might be the one to get the most information out of him."

"Why is that?" Fujika asked.

"They used to be teammates under Minato's tutelage," Jiraiya informed her. "I agree with Naruto. I doubt even Anko would be able to break him with the usual interrogation methods, but we've seen that Naruto is capable of getting information from people just by speaking to them. If he and Kakashi go to speak to Obito, they would probably have the best chance to find out what his plans were. After that, we can discuss what should be done with him."

"Alright," Tsunade said tiredly. "After hearing your report of your mission in the Land of Water, listening to your reasoning for freeing Kurama and Isobu, and seeing the precautions you have taken considering their martial value, I see no reason to punish you as a member of Uzu's shinobi force. Now, on the topic of Konoha, Konan contacted me a few days before you arrived. She said that there are others besides the Inuzuka and the Aburame who want to escape Hiashi's control, and that you should be sent there as soon as possible to help and provide protection. So, Chunin Uzimaki, do you accept this mission, knowing full well the consequences of both failure and success?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Naruto exclaimed resolutely.

"Then go prepare and meet your partners for this mission at the gate. Your team will consist of two civillians and two shinobi, and you will once again be assuming command. Dismissed."

Naruto grinned and sprinted back to his room, where Tayuya, Haku, and Guren were waiting. He was slightly delayed due to some pleasurable distractions rising up whenever he tried to say goodbye, but eventually he managed to tear himself away from them and depart down the main street of Uzu, saying hello to the various people he passed on the street and stopping for a quick bowl of ramen with the Ichirakus before being on his way. With Eclipse at his waist and Corona in hand he took his time to each the gate. The black disks Yoneda had given him were cool against his skin as they piled up on the center of his back, rising about an inch off his spine yet somehow not hampering his movement in the least, and Naruto was determined to figure out how to properly use them on this trip.

Kurama and Isobu had actually returned inside the seal, stating that it would be easier to travel with Naruto this way, and would help until he learned how to control their chakra without their assistance. Naruto was happy for the company, and offered no protest. His good mood grew as he finally approached the gate and saw who would be accompanying him on this mission.

Standing just inside the gate, Karin beamed and ran up to hug him as he walked up to them. She released him, and Naruto grinned as Hiruzen limped forward and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. It had been so long since he had seen his surrogate grandfather, and Naruto was happy to see him adjusting well to the wooden prosthetic strapped to his leg just below the knee. He still had to lean on a cane, but it was good to see that the injury had done nothing to hamper the cheer and kindness in the old man's eyes.

The last member of their group was a boy about Naruto's age with pale skin and short, dark hair. Naruto could tell by the way he stood and the blank look on his face that this boy was one of Danzo's ROOT agents, and made sure to stay on his guard. Danzo may be loyal to Naruto and the Coalition at the moment, but ROOT was still primarily loyal to Danzo. That was the whole reason their operation had managed to continue after they had been disbanded, and were it not that Naruto had the records to incriminate and charge Danzo with countless crimes against humanity, he was fairly certain he would have been assassinated a long time ago. Luckily, it seemed to Naruto that Danzo was steadily coming around to actually believing in the Coalition's goals, and slowly but surely he felt that he was gaining the man's loyalty for real.

Shoving those thoughts aside, Naruto smiled and held his hand out to the boy. "Good to meet you, I'm Naruto, I'll be in charge on this mission."

The boy returned the smile, though it was painfully clear how fake it was to Naruto. "I'm aware of who you are, Naruto-san. My name is Sai."

"Nice to meet you, Sai," Naruto replied. He was aware of the rigorous mental conditioning ROOT agents went through, and knew that, while Sai was almost certainly going to report Naruto's every move to Danzo, he would follow Naruto's command unquestioningly to the letter. Strangely enough, that actually made Naruto more uncomfortable. He found himself wishing he had Tayuya or Kisame instead, despite how they seemed to find some sort of strange entertainment in arguing and questioning his orders. Shaking that thought off, Naruto addressed them and activated his voice seal to loop Kurenai, Konan, Hinata, and Anko into the conversation. "We're going to be teleporting straight to the top of the Hokage Monument. The detection barrier has almost definitely been adjusted to sense us, so you will all have to maintain contact with me as we make our way to the safe house where Jiraiya and Yazawa have provided a barrier that will shield us from detection. Once there, we will meet up with the team already inside and discuss the situation within the village and our next step."

Once he received nods of confirmation, Naruto reached out and found the Hiraishin Seal engraved on the top of his biological father's head. They arrived in a flash, and Naruto looked out over Konoha once again as the first flakes of snow fell from above, sparkling in the blood red light of the setting sun. He scanned the village and smiled when he saw a light flickering up at him from an alleyway near the south side of the village, close to one of the training grounds. Activating his Kunshugan to further improve his sight, he spied someone standing on top of a tree in the training ground holding up a large mirror to reflect the sunlight at them.

He made quick uses of his swift release, having to make several jumps across rooftops to keep his chakra output low enough to stay hidden by Corona's abosrobtion of the ambient chakra that his techniques produced. He winced as they landed at the base of the tree and Naruto's feet gouged a small trench in the dirt. Clearly, absorbing Isobu had messed up his chakra control more than he expected.

Making a note to practice his chakra control soon, Naruto grinned as the branches above them rustled and Kiba dropped down in front of them.

 _The barrier is this way,_ he signed to them. Naruto noticed that his eyes kept drifting back towards Karin as they followed him and couldn't help but grin. At least some people were finding happiness in this whole situation. _We have to resort to signing in order to communicate with each other when outside the barrier,_ Kiba explained. _Hiashi has ears everywhere, and if any of us are caught talking about deserting Konoha, we'll be arrested._

 _How have you managed to find out that there are others who wanted to defect if you can't talk about it?_

 _Very carefully. They come to us, and we only talk vaguely about desires to leave the village in case they're spies._

 _Let me see them at some point, I'll be able to figure out which ones are lying and which aren't._

They walked through the training ground and Naruto saw that they were heading towards the Forest of Death. Their progress was slow, especially after slipping through a hidden tunnel to get around the fence surrounding the forest, as Naruto was forced to walk with the rest of his team keeping a hand on their back while he focused on directing Corona to absorb their ambient chakra as well as his. Kiba acted as their protection, with him and Akamaru walking on either side of them, their claws at the ready, with Kiba's covered in fire chakra, lighting up the frozen ground around them.

Eventually they made it to a large hollow tree where a small camp was set up. Shino stood on guard just outside the tree and nodded to them as they passed, bowing to Hiruzen in respect before following them into the barrier.

Once inside, Naruto smiled as Kurenai, Anko, Konan, and Hinata all exited the large tent near the back wall of the hollow and ran to embrace him, while Karin and Kiba hugged as well, blushes dusting their faces. After assuring everyone he was fine when Kiba asked him how he got the new scar across his eye and detailing his fight with Hidan, Naruto released Isobu and Kurama and they all sat around the fire and started to discuss their next step.

"Before we do anything, we need to get to the detection barrier and readjust it to allow us to leave this camp freely," Konan said.

"That's not going to be a problem," Naruto replied. "I can handle that tonight. I also have an idea of a place we can use for a new base of operations so that we don't freeze to death in the next few months. We can go there tomorrow and set up shop, then we can meet with Tsume and Shibi and start working on a plan to get out of here."

Everyone agreed and Naruto created a single shadow clone before beckoning Anko over to join him. They both transformed into a pair of nondescript shinobi, with Naruto disguising Corona as a staff strapped across his back, and held hands as they made their way back to Konoha proper.

"How convenient that I have to stay in _constant_ contact with you, eh, Kitsu-kun?" Anko whispered salaciously.

"No," Naruto replied mischieviously. "What's convenient is getting to do this to you to keep eyes off of us."

Anko squeeked as he pulled her into a nearby alley and started kissing her senseless. Her eyes closed and she wrapped her arms around his neck as the feeling of Naruto pressed up against her lit a fire inside her. She was completely breathless when Naruto finally pulled away and leaned their foreheads together.

"I've missed you," he whispered. "All of you."

Anko was pretty sure her chest was close to bursting when he finally pulled away and they resumed walking toward the gate, smiling like fools. When they finally got there, it wasn't terribly difficult for Naruto to create some clones just outside the barrier and disguise them as travelers to distract the guards while they snuck inside the office.

Once inside, Naruto led them to the trapdoor near the back of the office and Anko quickly picked the lock on it while he held her shoulder. The ladder proved to be a challenge to go down while maintaining contact, so Naruto opted instead to simply pick Anko up and jump down the shaft to the large chamber where a massive sphere of bright pink liquid floated in the air, rippling occasionally.

Luckily there wasn't anyone within the chamber, as its existence was hardly even common knowledge among the shinobi guarding it. Working quickly, Naruto located the seal array underneath the sphere and modified it to not notice his chakra signature before bringing Anko over to do the same for her. After that it was simply a matter of creating a clone and a Hiraishin Seal, and having them revolve with each other, bringing the members of their group to the chamber, one by one.

Once that was taken care of, Naruto transported them into the village with his swift release, leading them carefully through unoccupied streets and back alleys.

"How do you know these streets so well, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked.

"I've memorized all the streets in Konoha," Naruto replied. "But I spent a lot of my time here when I was a kid."

Anko raised an eyebrow. "What were you doing so close to the red light district as a child?"

"It's where he lived when I met him," Kurenai replied somberly.

Naruto nodded and pointed nonchalantly down one of the alleys they passed. "Right down there, right, Tenshi-chan? I remember you bringing ramen to my box like it was yesterday." He smiled wistfully at the memory while everyone else frowned. Only Kurenai and Hiruzen had known Naruto was homeless for a chunk of his life and it struck the others quite hard that he would see someone bringing him food as a fond memory. "Anyways, we're here. This is where we can hunker down for now."

His face shifted from genuine happiness to a mere façade as he picked the lock of the dilapidated apartment building and showed them inside. The building was falling apart at the seams, but Naruto led them up to the top floor and pointed to a row of apartments, the last of which was particularly destroyed, with evidence of a fire being lit inside as well.

"Well, take your pick. Kiba and Shino, you guys should probably get home soon. Tell your parents to meet here after their council meeting and to make sure they aren't followed. I have some things I need to take care of so I'll see you all in the morning."

With that, Naruto vanished and transported himself to a training ground where he assigned an army of clones to get his chakra control back up to par. He then created another handful of clones who all vanished as they went about taking care of their assigned duties, and transported himself back to the top of the Hokage Monument, where he summoned Ryuda to sit with him while he meditated.

Ryuda picked up on Naruto's unease and decided to simply offer his quiet support and curl around his familiar. Together, boy and dragon stayed there until sunrise where he returned to the apartment building, and was happy to see that his clones had made significant progress raiding his old house and bringing back everything of value. Luckily his multitude of traps had held so far, but he knew they wouldn't forever, so he resolved to empty out anything of intellectual value as well as all the weapon stores hidden throughout the property and bring them back to the basement of the apartment building where he was sorting through them and sealing them in various scrolls.

He was checking through the weapons and dividing them up when the others made their way downstairs. Signing a quick greeting to them all and accepting a kiss on the cheek from his girlfriends, Naruto got back to work while Kurenai, Anko, Konan, and Hinata debriefed him and his team.

"Hiashi has turned Konoha and the surrounding villages into a closed society," Kurenai began. "He has the Yamanaka Clan on his side, and thus controls pretty much all the information within the village. His control outside the village is slowly growing as he is working to bring every village between here and Suna under his control."

"Speaking of Suna, we've been trying to get in contact with them, but with them under Konoha control, the only people we know would be Gaara and his siblings," Anko added. "And we were a little hesitant to contact them."

"Don't be," Naruto said. "Gaara is someone we should have on our side. Particularly before the Lands of Earth, Wind, and Lightning as well as their Hidden Villages go to war."

"We haven't been aware of any of the developments concerning those three since we got here," Konan said. "What's going on?"

"At the moment, there are border skirmishes between the Iwa and Suna shinobi," Sai reported. "But they are wary to attack outright, lest they bring Konoha into this while they and the Earth samurai are also busy fighting Kumo and the Land of Lightning over the assassination of their Daimiyo. The Wind Daimiyo is on guard after the recent assassination attempts, and thus the Wind samurai are starting to wind up involved in the border skirmishes with Iwa."

"It's not going to take much for those three to go to war," Hiruzen said gravely. "And with the Land of Fire still in a disarray after the destruction of the capital, and the Land of Water still embroiled in civil war, we might find ourselves caught in the crossfire."

"That's more likely than you think." They all turned as Tsume and Shibi entered the apartment building, flanked by their children.

"Hokage-sama, it's good to see you again," Tsume said as she and the others bowed in greeting. "With you here, I'm even more confident we'll be able to get off Hiashi's leash without much issue."

"Your vote of confidence is appreciated, Tsume-san, but we both know I'm not the one leading this operation," Hiruzen replied.

"So we've heard," Shibi replied looking at Naruto. "Tsume-san has praised your skill as both a tactician and leader, Uzumaki-san. Please help me get my clan to safety."

Naruto smiled and nodded when the girl standing next to Tsume whom he assumed to be her daughter spoke up. "Hold on, _he's_ in charge of getting us out of here? Mom, he isn't even older than the runt!"

Kiba and Akamaru both growled at the girl who looked to be about the same age as Kurenai and Anko –who were both watching her with narrowed eyes.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Hana!" Kiba exclaimed while Akamaru barked.

Hana was hardly affected by her brother's outburst except to narrow her own eyes in anger and growl as the three dogs sitting behind her growled as well making Kiba and Akamaru flinch from the killing intent she was sending their way.

"Know your place, runt," Hana snarled. "Who are you to disrespect your betters like that?"

Having had enough, Naruto flashed in front of her as she took a step towards Kiba, grabbing her wrist before Tsume could even react to stop her. Flexing his own chakra, an aura of serenity settled over everyone but Hana and her dogs as Ryuda appeared behind Naruto.

Ryuda unleashed a deep, primal growl and bared his teeth. Even in his smaller form, he was far bigger than even Kuromaru and the feral aura he projected as he showed off the knife-like fangs within his mouth made even the alpha nin-dog want to submit, while Hana struggled under the weight of Naruto's sheer presence.

Her heart thundered in her ears as she looked into his slitted blue eyes, and she shuddered as his face entered her personal space. She couldn't even think of resisting before a force that was even more terrifying than her own mothers. Standing in front of her wasn't just the alpha of a pack, angry that she had tried to intimidate one of his own. She was looking into the eyes of a primal, alpha predator. Something that had no natural enemies and ruled over its territory.

"Who are you to try and intimidate my precious person, _Inu-chan_?" Naruto murmured, his husky, damaged voice adding a natural growl to his tone. "Your mother, Clan Head and _Alpha_ of your pack, has sworn allegiance to me and my Coalition. I will not tolerate you taking your discomfort with your situation out on those below you in the pack. The strong protect the weak, and help them in turn grow strong themselves. Next time you want to challenge your brother over something so _pointless_ , I and my familiar will gladly take his place."

Watching him, Hiruzen could finally see the man who had taken on several S-Rank shinobi and survived. There was a primal fury within Naruto that was ingrained in his protective nature, and Hiruzen couldn't help but wonder if Naruto was picking up more than just training from his multiple non-human teachers. Then again, considering the chaos man had been creating for centuries, perhaps the one who would lead them towards peace recquired a side that was more… in tune with the natural world around him.

Dropping her wrist, Naruto returned to sit next to Kurenai, holding her hand tightly as he calmed himself down and returned to the real reason he was here.

"Now, we need to start working on a plan to get you and your clans outside of the village without being detected."

"Ano… Naruto-kun, couldn't you just use your Hiraishin to take them to Uzu?" Hinata asked nervously. The casual display of power she had just witnessed had caused a funny feeling to well up in her chest, and make her blush. Strangely, she felt no fear seeing the power backing her boyfriend's rage, rather, the aura of peace he created was hardly disturbed, shifting instead to make her feel reassured of her safety near him while he directed his ire at Kiba's sister.

"No," Naruto replied. "We need a way for people to escape the village without me having to transport them. It may be slower –and I hate saying this –but I'm going to be needed elsewhere with the Coalition and the coming wars, and even my clones can only be stretched so far. On top of that, I'm not confident I have the power or control to safely transport so many people that far safely, and using the Revolving Hiraishin would take too long and eventually be predictable."

"In that case, we need to identify the obstacles that come with secretly evacuating people, and develop a plan to circumvent them," Shino said.

"The first one is the barrier," Naruto said. "It will register each person who leaves the village, and it will take too long to modify it for each individual person like I did for us."

"Why don't you just modify it to not notice anything leaving the village?" Anko suggested.

"It's possible, but not easy."

"We also have to deal with the Hyuga," Hinata added. "My… Hiashi has absolute control over both houses, and they have been acting as a sort of secret police when not on missions."

"The Branch House has to be chaffing under Hiashi's rule," Hiruzen said. "Is there any way we can reach out to them?"

"I don't know," Hinata replied sadly. "The Branch House is so used to being subservient to the Main House that the idea of rebelling against them would seem ludicrous."

"If anyone can convince them to help us, it's you, Ao-Hime," Naruto said confidently.

"Naruto-kun is right," Kurenai said. "The Branch House has always loved you. On top of that, you're living proof that there is freedom for those forsaken by the Main House."

"It would take some time, but I'm pretty sure I can figure out how to remove a Caged Bird that's already been implemented. We'd need to break into the Hyuga Compound first though so I can read through their documents. In the meantime is there anything else we'll need to take care of?"

"The ANBU will almost certainly be on our tail the moment we're discovered," Hiruzen said. "Getting passed them and evading the hunter-nin won't be easy."

"Good thing they'll be deprived two of the best tracking clans in the village," Tsume countered smugly.

"I concur," Shibi said. "My clan is willing to provide our hives to the effort. Our insects will be able to covertly act as sentries while we construct our plan."

"Alright," Naruto concluded. "Our first step is going to be seeing who else wants to get out of here. I'll send a clone with each of you as you go around and tell each person individually that there will be a meeting for anyone who is thinking of getting out of Konoha. My clone will be able to tell if they are sincere, and if so tell them to meet up at this address in the warehouse district in a week, otherwise give them a false location." He wrote down the location for the real meeting and showed it to everyone before burning the paper to ash. "What we're attempting hasn't been done before on this scale. Please, everyone, under no circumstances should you take any chances. We are all under constant surveillance, and it is imperative that we not be discovered, otherwise not only could we be killed, but many others could lose their lives just from interacting with us. Keep this in mind when you are out there: this isn't your home anymore."

 **A/N: And now we start the Konoha Exodus arc. This one shouldn't be terribly long, but it will involve a lot of dialogue and sneaking around with minimal action. That being said, there might be a fight or two, along with exploring Naruto's reaction to being back in the village that originally scorned him. Thanks for reading and reviewing as always, and I'll see you next time!**


	34. Chapter 34

"So, who is it we're meeting?" Naruto asked. It had been three days since they arrived in Konoha and the snow had yet to cease, blanketing the entire village in thick, frozen crystals. He and Hinata were waiting in one of the training grounds to meet with a member of the Hyuga Branch House, and they were understandably on edge.

"His name is Ko," Hinata replied quietly. "He used to be my retainer when I went out in the village." Naruto noticed Hinata's hands shaking and reached out to interrwine their fingers, channelling a little bit of his chakra through the contact to calm her. When she turned to look at him, he smiled reassuringly.

"I know it's tough being back here, so close to your old clan, but don't forget, you're not the same girl who they banished. You're stronger than ever, and not even Hiashi can take that away from you."

"One could say the same thing to you, Naruto-kun," Hinata replied. "It's clear being back in Konoha is affecting you just as much as it is the rest of us."

Naruto nodded, looking forward. "Yeah, can't say I'm happy to be back. But people need our help, so that's enough reason for me to set aside my feelings for now."

"Someone's coming," Kurama said from his reclined position under a nearby tree.

Naruto and Hinata nodded and Naruto gave her hand one last reassuring squeeze before releasing it when a short-haired Hyuga broke through the trees surrounding them. Naruto recognised him but said nothing as he approached, a grin on his face as Hinata dropped her transformation and revealed herself.

"Hinata-sama," Ko said happily, bowing low. "It's good to see you again."

"Hello, Ko-san," Hinata replied, hugging the man close. It was clear that Ko was surprised by how much Hinata had grown since he had last seen her. Since she had left the Hyuga Clan, she had allowed her hair to start growing, reaching just past her shoulders. Her figure had developed as well, becoming taller and curvier, and with her newfound self-confidence, it was clear that she was growing into a model of beauty. Her thick jacket had been exchanged for her chunnin vest over a dark blue sweater and pants. Her hands were covered in thin, black leather gloves, and she wore similarly covered boots on her feet.

When they separated, Ko's smile faded as he regarded her with concern. "What are you doing back in Konoha? If Hiashi-sama knew you were here-"

"Hiashi is actually why I've come back, Ko-san," Hinata interrupted. "No doubt you've heard mention of people who want to find a way out of the village to escape Hiashi's rule?"

Ko nodded. "I have. Of course, whoever has been orchestrating everything is very careful. Even the Yamanaka are having a hard time hunting down the dissenters, and being a Hyuga means that everyone tends to halt their conversation as soon as I am within earshot. Are you saying that you are the ones behind it?"

"Actually, that would be Naruto-kun." Hinata pointed over to Naruto as he dropped his own transformation and watched as Ko seemingly wrestled with his feelings for a moment.

"It's nice to meet you, Ko-san," Naruto said.

"Of course you're behind this," Ko said. "You _live_ to make the lives of Konoha's leadership difficult."

Naruto smirked humorlessly, apparently there were still several people who held quite the distaste for him. "You have to admit, it's not like it was terribly difficult."

"Ko-san, Naruto-kun is the one who saved me from the Caged Bird Seal," Hinata said, noticing the tension between the two men. "He wants to help the Branch House as much as I do."

Ko looked between the two of them, conflicted. "What do you need me to do, Hinata-sama?"

Hinata schooled her features as best she could, drawing herself up to her full height. "We need your help breaking into the Hyuga Compound."

*(OoO)*

Naruto sat on the roof of the warehouse, waiting for everyone to arrive as he looked up at the Hokage Monument. The snow had finally slowed earlier that day, and the moonlight shining down from the clear night sky made the snow covering every surface shimmer like some sort of winter dream. He turned his attention to the dark skeletons of the forest surrounding the village and expanded his senses, connecting with the natural energy around him, allowing the slumbering energy of winter to soothe him. People were slowly filtering into the warehouse below and Naruto felt the squadron of ANBU and Hyuga following many of them.

Luckily, he and Kurenai had set up the warehouse with various privacy seals and illusions. This would be a decent opportunity for Naruto to test out his latest theory on hiding people from the Byakugan. Standing up, he sighed and vaulted himself down and through a window, observing the people gathered below as Tsume, Shibi, and Hiruzen addressed the crowd. Among them he spotted Lee, Ino, Sakura, Tenten, Choji, Shikamaru, Guy, Asuma, Koand a few other members of the Branch House, Kakashi, the senbon-chewing jonin from the Chunin Exams, the two guards Naruto had always seen at the gate to the village, and several other shinobi and civilians.

"Friends," Hiruzen called out. "It has come to my attention that many of you are dissatisfied with the current direction Konoha has taken. You've become prisoners in your own village, forced to work and fight for ideals that you do not believe in under a man that seeks to build an empire. I have come as an emissary of Tsunade Senju, the true Hokage, and members of the United Elemental Coalition, to offer you refuge in the newly reconstructed Uzu."

"Tsunade-sama's still alive?" One of the civilians asked.

"I heard that the Nine-Tails tricked her into leaving before killing her," another replied.

Seeing that as his cue, Naruto silently dropped down behind Hiruzen as he put an end to the rumors.

"Tsunade is very much alive, and has has sent one of her best and most trustworthy shinobi to lead this operation." Stepping aside, he revealed Naruto to the crowd.

Considering how different he looked compared to when he left, Naruto wasn't surprised when it took many of them several seconds to recognise him. His robe now covered his favourite hoody, and his blond hair flopped down over his forehead, nearly covering his right eye, while his left was still marred by the scar from his fight with Hidan, and was tied into a spiky pony tail at the base of his skull that fell just below his shoulders. Only his bright blue eyes and whisker marks allowed him to be identified, and when he did, several expressions, ranging from distaste to outrage sprung up amongst the crowd.

"I know many of you still hate me," Naruto said before anyone could voice their displeasure. "I see how unwelcome I was in this village every time I look in the mirror. That being said, my team and I are your best, last, and only option for escaping this place with your lives, so while I can't ask you to let go of the hate you have carried for the last fourteen years, you will have to set it aside until we can get you out past Konoha's walls. If, after that, you still are feel unable to forgive me for the destruction caused by the creature sealed inside of me, then you will be free to go anywhere you wish. Until then, though, I will not tolerate your bigotry putting your fellow villagers in danger. If you truly wish to extract one last piece of vengeance, I welcome you to try and take it out on me directly, but unlike when many of you chased and beat me as a child…" his pupils became slits as he looked several people in the eye. "I will defend myself. Now, everyone except Kakashi, Guy, Asuma, and Ko, return to your homes and do not discuss a word of what we are planning with anyone, including each other. We will contact you individually. If Hiashi catches wind of this, rest assured that he will make you and everyone you care about an example to anyone else with thoughts of defection."

With that, he vanished and the crowd slowly dispersed, a somberness wighing over them as they were forced to acknowledge their mistakes in front of the likes of the Third Hokage and the judgemental glares of several people who knew Naruto personally.

Konan frowned as she felt Naruto land on top of the apartment building. She turned away from the jonin gathered around the Third Hokage who were all discussing plans for their escape from Konoha and walked over to join Kurenai, Anko as they followed Hinata and her friends out the door.

"I'm surprised to see you three here," Kiba said addressing Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji. "Aren't your clans firmly in support of Hiashi?"

"They are," Ino replied sadly. "But, I believe in Naruto. After spending time with him, we came back to the village and started noticing things that weren't right. Almost all of the older shinobi seem obsessed with turning Konoha into some sort of super power, and I don't want to ruin people's lives just to make the clan heads more powerful. I want to fight to make the world a better place."

"And the rest of you feel this way as well?" Hinata asked, prompting nods from all but Tenten. When their eyes fell on her, she huffed and turned her face away.

"I just want out of here. Getting to work for Tsunade-sama again is more than worth putting up with him."

"What's your problem with Naruto-san?" Sakura asked curiously.

"My problem is that you're all seeing him as some sort of messiah, when he's just a better than average shinobi piggy backing on the fact that he has a lot of powerful friends."

"Naruto-kun works tirelessly for the strength he possesses," Konan said, cutting in. "There is no shame in having friends who will fight by your side. The reason we all follow him so loyally is because he has managed to bring us together to accomplish things that should have been impossible. Not only that, but he leads us while fighting right by our side."

"So that means we should just let us roll over and take the credit for what we do?" Tenten bit back. "I was in the Land of Water. He spent two months doing nothing, but everyone still saw him as some sort of hero! Then he vanishes and Mei comes back raving all about how he killed the Mizukage."

"He did kill the Mizukage," Anko said. "We've seen the proof."

"Tenten, it sounds like you are making snap judgements about Naruto-kun's character without having all the facts," Kurenai said sternly. "Perhaps if you actually spoke with him and saw what he is truly capable of, you would change your opinion of him."

Tenten scoffed and turned away from the group. "Call me when we're leaving this place," she said over her shoulder as she walked down the street towards her place. Anko heard the word demon muttered as she walked away and had to be restrained by Kurenai and Konan from going after her. Once she had calmed down, they all entered the apartment building where they found Hana and her dogs waiting.

"What are you doing here, Hana?" Kiba asked.

"You and your boys here to mark your territory or something?" Anko quipped with a smirk.

"You two used to be reknown jonin of Konoha," Hana said, addressing Anko and Kurenai. "Now you're nothing more than that brat's bitches. What is it about him that makes everyone, including my mother, the most fiercely loyal kunoichi I have ever met, turn their backs on everything they've ever known to follow him?"

"I dunno if you remember, Hana," Anko hissed. "But I wasn't reknown. I was hated, then feared or viewed as a sex object."

"You want to know what it is about Naruto that makes him worth following?" Kurenai asked. "It's the fact that he doesn't ask us to. The fact that he will do anything for the people close to him. And the fact that he will always accept you for who you are. Naruto doesn't want to rule any land or conquer the country, he just wants to bring an end to the senseless fighting and constant wars. He wants to create a world where he doesn't have to constantly worry about the safety of those he loves. The people that he had to fight and claw his way through life to find."

"Besides, Hana, Naruto is more of an Alpha than Hiashi will ever be." They turned and saw Tsume standing with the others who had remained behind in the warehouse. "You saw it first hand, and if you need any more proof than your own Alpha following him, please, take him and his partner up on his invitation."

"Maybe I will," Hana spat, storming passed them all and out the door.

"Please forgive her," Tsume said with a sigh. "She's always been hotheaded, and the way things are going in the world and around her, she's been desperately clinging to her identity as a leaf shinobi to keep her afloat. The decision to leave has taken even that from her, and now she's lashing out at everything."

"It can be hard feeling like you are completely alone, without any idea of what you're doing or where you're going." Everybody tensed momentarily as Naruto appeared behind Kurenai, prompting a squeak of surprise and a shameful flush from her. "Would you mind if I spoke to her?"

Tsume nodded and Naruto returned the gesture gratefully before once more disappearing.

"Naruto-kun seems uncharacteristically unyouthful compared to the last time I saw him," Guy noted.

"You would be too if you had to return to a place like this," Konan replied. "When we moved into the Fourth's old home, neither Naruto-kun nor I thought we would ever have to step foot in here ever again."

"This place holds some sort of connection to you two?" Kakashi asked.

"This is where Naruto lived after I found out he was living on the street," Hiruzen answered somberly. "I had no idea that it would have been in such a disarray though."

"Naruto isn't the kind to complain about those kinds of things," Anko replied.

"He was probably too happy about having an actual roof over his head to risk complaining about it to you," Kurenai added.

Before anyone could say anything else, Naruto reappeared with Hana and Tenten in tow and addressed Ko who still had a scowl on his face whenever he looked at him. "Ko-san, these two have accepted the invitation I made earlier. Would you like to fight me as well so I may prove myself to you?"

"What would fighting you prove?" Ko asked. "You would still be the miscreant who allowed Hiashi-sama to become Hokage and made the lives of everyone worse."

"I never said that I was proving myself to you, nor am I to Hana or Tenten," Naruto shot back. "As per Inuzuka traditions I will fight Hana, and Tsume if I have to, to prove myself worthy of leading the rest of the clan once we return to Uzu. I will fight Tenten to prove to myself that I can and will overcome your hate for my father's actions while he was forced to attack Konoha, and I'm gonna kick the crap outta you because I want some practice beating the snot out of a Hyuga before I wind up taking on Hiashi, and as the person who had sworn to protect Ao-hime before me, I need to prove to myself that I can protect her and all my other precious people."

Ko smirked at Naruto's arrogance while Tsume grinned at the opportunity to finally fight Naruto. She had been itching to after seeing him in the Land of Hot Water and wanted to see how much he had improved since then.

"Alright, kid, I'm in. Hana, and I will meet you at Training Ground 28, tomorrow, at the crack of dawn."

She and Hana left with Kiba and the others.

"I will be there also," Ko said, turning in place and marching out the door.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Tenten grumbled as she was the last to leave.

Hiruzen sighed and rubbed his hand down his face while Guy and Asuma left as well.

"There's more to this than what you just said, Naruto," Kakashi deduced. "Why participate in these fights when there's the ever present risk of Hiashi and his forces finding you and taking you prisoner?"

Naruto smirked as he turned and headed back up towards the roof of the building. "Why indeed?"

The next morning, Konan found Naruto just before he left for the training ground to participate in his matches.

"Naruto," she said quietly prompting him to turn and address her with his trademark foxy grin.

"Hasu-chan, what's up?"

"I'm sure that you have an actual reason for provoking those four into fighting you, and that you aren't about to reveal it to any of us, but please, don't forget that you truly have nothing to prove." She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him close and resting her forhead against his. "You aren't the Demon Brat they think you are. You are our Naruto-kun. The man who rose above his hatred and has helped found a Coalition to preserve peace. Don't be the monster they mistake you for."

The tension evaporated from Naruto's shoulders and he smiled as he brought Konan in for a slow, passionate kiss. He felt his chakra once again reach out and connect to his own, allowing their energies to mix and flow between them, seemingly feeding the growing heat in both their chests. When they eventually separated, Naruto's grin was ever present as his deep blue, slitted eyes silently conveyed his gratitude.

When they arrived in the training ground, Naruto's opponents were already waiting for them, and a small crowd had gathered to watch.

 _Trust in the Gossip Queen of Konoha to make sure word spreads_ , Naruto thought with a smile as he eyed Ino standing with Sakura and her teammates. Ignoring the whispering of the shinobi and civilians surrounding him, Naruto eyed his environment carefully. The training ground was littered with snow-covered boulders, providing plenty of waist high cover, as well as uneven terrain that he might be able to take advantage of should he need to. While he started forming vague plans in his head, Hiruzen marched into the middle of the battle field and raised his voice to address the crowd.

"There will be three matches! The first will be purely hand to hand combat, and will be fought by Ko Hyuga against Naruto Uzumaki! Should he win, Naruto's second and third match will be no holds barred against Tenten Higarashi, followed by Tsume and Hana Inuzuka. Combatants, are you ready?"

Ko nodded and dropped into his Gentle Fist stance while Naruto merely shed his robe, Eclipse and Corona sealed within, and handed it to Kurenai with a wink before walking, shirtless over to face Ko. Gasps were heard throughout the crowd as Naruto revealed his multitude of scars as well as his prosthetic arm, but Naruto simply ignored them and dropped into his own stance.

Hiruzen looked between the two and raised his hand in the air, dropping it down with a shout. "Begin!"

Ko sprang into action, his Byakugan flaring as he rushed towards Naruto with a vicious opening salvo of palm strikes aimed for Naruto's limbs. Naruto danced around Ko's strikes, slipping between his palms and kicking his legs out from under him.

Ko growled and Naruto winked at him as he hopped from foot to foot, beckoning his opponent to attack. This time, Ko fought smarter, adding punches and kicks to his palm strikes in order to increase the pressure on Naruto. Naruto was unfazed as he gracefully dodged Ko's attacks with his air style before switching into one of his others to take advantage of the overextension. After a number of minutes, Ko finally managed to land a glancing blow on Naruto's left shoulder, smirking as he closed the chakra point and pushed him self back through the air. He spun horizontally as he flew and dug his hand into the ground lauching a mixture of dirt and snow at Naruto's face as he recovered.

Naruto grunted as he took the projectile to the face, blinding him temporarily and giving Ko and opportunity to rush in with a cry of the Hyuga Clan's signature technique. Sixty one palm strikes slammed into him, sealing chakra points all over Naruto's body. Ko smirked victoriously and reared back to deliver the final blow when his hand was unexpectantly met with the cold metal of Naruto's prosthetic. Naruto locked fists with Ko before quickly shifting his grip up his arm and throwing him over his shoulder with a shout.

Releasing him a mere second after the apex of his flight, Naruto rolled to position himself under Ko, slamming himself into the ground and using the natural energy therein to unseal his chakra point with a slight pulse before rocketing his foot up to catch Ko in the jaw. His kick absorbed and reversed Ko's downward momentum, and Naruto followed up by springing off his hands and flipping over his airborn opponent to deliver a devastating, two-handed hammer fist to Ko's sternum.

Ko gasped as the air was forced out of him and he was slammed so hard into the ground that the surrounding snow exploded into the air as he left an indent in the rock underneath. He barely had time to struggle to his feet until Naruto once again was in front of him, this time administrating his own barrage of attacks as he made use of his fire, earth, and lightning styles to keep Ko off balance. With a shout, Naruto finished his combo by leaping in the air and slamming his metal fist down across Ko's cheek, sending Ko spiralling into the ground where he lay still for the entirety of the ten count, indicating Naruto was the winner.

The hopeful-defectors watched in awe as Naruto stood in the snow, sweat shining on his skin despite him barely breathing heavily as he walked over to Ko and helped him to his feet. The two shook hands and exchanged words that the spectators were not privy too, but Hinata seemed to be breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of her boyfriend and the closest thing she had to an older brother burying the hatchet.

"So you're can throw a punch," Tenten shouted as she entered the battlefield, unsealing an axe in one hand and a whip in the other. "That doesn't mean you're gonna beat me."

"If memory serves," Naruto countered with a smirk. "The scores one to nothing in my favor between the two of us."

This worked to provoke Tenten into snarling and lashing her whip out at him with supersonic speed. Naruto smiled and shifted to the side, catching the whip around his right arm and giving it a hard enough yank to launch Tenten off her feet towards him. Unlike with Ko, Naruto had nothing actually to prove. He knew he could beat Tenten, but he sensed that she had some things to work out, and his mom had been sure to instruct him on the occasional carthesis of a good fight.

Tenten released the whip as she flew towards him, and unsealed a spear which she pointed straight towards his chest. Unworried, Naruto shifted once more, glancing the blade of the weapon off his right shoulder and smacking her in the back with a whip of water made out of the snow beneath them. Tenten yelped at the playful swat and turned around to glower at him. Planting her spear in the ground, she held her axe in both hands and Naruto felt her channeling her chakra through the weapon, raising an eybrow as it suddenly ignited. She charged him with the weapon and he effortlessly evaded the swipes of the weapon, barely even feeling the heat off it as it passed milimeters in front of his chest.

Stopping her swing with a quick pillar of earth, he jumped away and held his hand out beside him. "That's a pretty impressive axe," he called out. "But let me show you how you properly channel an element through your weapon." In a poof of smoke, Eclipse unsealed itself from his robe in Kurenai's arms and flew towards his outstretched hand. Grabbing his blade by the sheath, Naruto pulled it out with his right hand and swung it down next to him, pumping a little bit of his fire chakra as he did so. The ensuing wave of dark flames scorched a crescent through the snow, leaving darkened earth behind it as Naruto lowered himself into his fire stance.

Tenten freed her axe and charged him once more. The two exchanged blows, Tenten's explosive swings hitting nothing but air and ground as Naruto deflected them and retaliated with his own dancing inferno. The heat off of his attacks was so intense that Tenten's clothes were starting to scorch just from their proximity and she was forced to evade, abandoning the axe in favour of returning to her spear.

"Stop playing around, you jackass!" She shouted. "You're not better than me!"

"Why does it matter if I am?" Naruto asked as he appeared in front of her with his swift release and cleaved the spear in twain, kicking the bladed end away to impale in a boulder fifty feet away. "Do you really care so much that I'm stronger than you?"

"Shut up!" Tenten screeched, swinging the bottom half of her spear up and smaking Naruto across the face. She jumped away and unsealed a flail and a fuma shuriken, hurling the latter at Naruto as hard she could. Naruto caught the glint of the wire attached to the shuriken and jumped over it, plunging Eclipse through the hole in the middle and yanking it to set Tenten off balance as she tried to catch him with her flail. Blocking the flail with a wall of ice, Naruto then melted it and slammed it into Tenten's chest, throwing her away from him before slicing the ninja wire connecting them.

Tenten landed with a series of backflips and glared angrily as she took the two scrolls on her belt and slammed them upright onto the ground where they erupted into twin columns of smoke in the form of two dragons. Between them was Tenten, who spun in midair as she unsealed weapon after weapon and hurled them at Naruto. Hundreds of weapons rocketed towards Naruto and he sighed as he finally activated his Kunshugan, freezing time as he planned a route between all of the raining steel.

Unfreezing time, Naruto elegantly spun between each and every weapon, slicing the wire attached to each and defusing the multitude of explosive seals mingled throughout. Once he had slice the last wire, he jumped into the air and flipped, slamming Tenten down into the ground with a pillar of wind out of his foot.

Tenten rocketed into the ground, creating a small crater as Naruto slowly decended to land gently above her.

"No," she muttered as tears fell from her eyes. "I can't be weaker than you, I can't be!" She slammed her fist on the ground and grabbed a nearby kunai, leaping towards him. Naruto didn't so much as flinch as the kunai came to a halt, the tip just touching his chest, and Tenten looked up to see Guy holding her wrist, his other hand on her shoulder as he looked at her with a mixture of sadness and stern disapproval.

"Let me go, Guy-sensei!"

"The fight is over Tenten," Guy said quietly. "You lost."

"No! I can't lose! Not to him!"

Naruto frowned and kneeled down to look Tenten in the eye. "Your parents were killed in the Nine-Tails attack, weren't they?"

"Yes, they were. And I've heard from the villagers that the Fourth Hokage sealed him into the form of a child so he could be controlled. You're the reason I grew up alone! You have all these people who love and respect you, and I had no one! How is that fair?!"

He took Tenten's hand out of Guy's, gently bringing her into his arms as he hugged her close. "It's not fair that you lost your parents. I'm also an orphan. My mom was the last container for the Nine-Tails, and when a madman ripped it out of her and forced it to attack Konoha, she and my dad gave their lives to protect the village and seal the Nine-Tails away so nobody could use its power like that ever again. I'm no more the Nine-Tails than your scrolls are the weapons they contain. Even so, I know what it's like to grow up alone. You might not remember this, but we actually spent some time in the same orphanage before they threw me out. I remember that you would always get in fights with the boys who picked on the smaller girls. I can't bring your family back, but I can promise to help you move forward and make a new one."

Tenten sobbed into his chest and Naruto used his swift release to quickly locate her room above the Higarashi Weapon Shop where he slipped in through the window and held her until she eventually fell asleep before tucking her beneath the covers and returning to the training grounds, where everyone was still standing in stunned silence. More than a few pairs of eyes glistened with tears, while Kurenai and the other girls felt pride swell up next to their sadness. It would have been so easy for Naruto to dismiss Tenten's pain with his own. He had easily had one of the hardest lives anyone in the village could possibly imagine, but instead of dismissing her feelings, Naruto had shown everyone his potential to use his pain to help soothe others'. He embraced the suffering of his past, and drew on it for help understanding that of those around him.

Landing without a sound, Naruto turned to Tsume and Hana, barely a mark on him from fighting two opponents already and smirked, breaking the tension in the air.

"Are you both ready for a good ol' fashioned brawl?" He asked.

Tsume grinned while Hana looked hesitant for a moment before returning to the scowl she had been wearing since the day Naruto put her in her place.

The crowd watched as the top two members of the Inuzuka Clan and their four canine partners stood opposite Naruto. Naruto smiled and flexed his chakra into the plates on his back while biting his thumb. He had been practicing over the last week to figure out the strange armor Yoneda had given him, and while he hadn't made much progress in manifesting the strange chakra armor he had when he faced Hidan and Yagura, he had finally figured out how to summon the disks on command. He slammed his hand into the ground as the disks rose off his back and floated around his body to take their places covering certain vital areas. In a burst of smoke, Ryuda appeared next to him, still in his shrunken form, and, without further ado, the fight commenced.

Ryuda was quick to dispense of his transformation, transforming into his fifteen foot height and intercepting Kuromaru with his claws while his wings, which had grown to be strangely hard, despite their flexibility and light weight, and fangs handled the triplets just as easily. Naruto, meanwhile, stopped Hana's spiraling attack with a quick wall of earth, and took the opportunity to just graze Tsume with single, thin blade of Eclipse's wind chakra. Tsume barely noticed the attack, and immediately spun towards Ryuda in an attempt to help Kuromaru, while the triplets rose to their feet and joined Hana in a four-pronged assauly against Naruto.

Naruto flipped Eclipse in his hand so it ran along his arm, and grunted as one of the four attackers grazed his side. Encouraged by finally drawing blood, Hana and the triplets continued to increase the pressure, working flawlessly together as they tried to tear Naruto to shreds. Flipping over the wall he created, Naruto noted the deep crater Hana had drilled and smirked as she burst through it while he felt one of the triplets tunnelling up towards him and the other two descending from above.

Slamming his foot into the ground, Naruto used the earth to push the dog below him up faster while leaning back and creating a wall of crystal with one hand while Eclipse swiped out with the other. Due to its increased speed, the triplet in the ground burst up into the air right in front of Hana, causing the two of them to yelp and tumple to the ground in a tangle of limbs. The dog coming in from his left slammed into a wall of crystal, expecting to be able to drill through it like Hana did the previous wall, and yelped as it learned just how unyielding the crystal release was. And the dog on his right soared over his head and tumbled to the ground as Eclipse bit into his flank, leaving a long thin line of dripping red in his fur.

Trapping Hana and her partners in strong bindings of wood, Naruto watched as Tsume distracted Ryuda while Kuromaru dove fang first at the underside of his throat, expecting the same unprotected weakness that they found in most animals. Unfortunately, dragons were as far from 'most animal' as you could get, and there was a dull _clang_ as steel-hard teeth impacted diamond-hard scales.

Ryuda snarled and hurled Tsume towards Naruto, who grabbed her as she flew and slammed her into the ground, wrapping his limbs around her to immobilize her while casually resting Eclipse against her jugular. Ryuda took care of Kuromaru, clamping his jaws down into the wolf-hound's neck and slamming him into the ground, holding him down with his one foot, his nearly sword-length claws resting dangerously on his chest.

The crowd watched, amazed, as Naruto reached down to help Hana and Tsume to their feet when an earth shaking explosion threw many of them off their feet. Several things happened next, but the only things Hinata would remember was the lurch as the training ground in which they were standing blurred away, and Uzu quickly coming into focus in its place, looking around and realising they all were somehow in Uzu, and Naruto's voice over the seal on her neck as she noticed with a shock of panic that he was the only one not present, even as more and more villagers appeared in front of her.

 _"Chikanari is attacking Konoha, and he's not alone."_

 **A/N: So... remember when I said there wouldn't be a lot of action? Anyways, now a threat far greater than Hiashi has appeared and Naruto is the only shinobi from Uzu left in the village. What could he be planning? As always, thanks for reading and reviewing, and I'll see you next time!**


	35. Chapter 35

"DAMMIT!" There was an explosion near the gates of Uzu as Tsunade slammed her fist into the ground in frustration with her son. "Naruto, I'm ordering you as Hokage to come back and at least get back up! There is no chance in hell you can take Chikanari on by yourself!"

 _"I don't plan on it,"_ Naruto grunted over the voice seal. There was a flicker and yet another villager appeared just outside the gates where Tsunade and Shizune had started first aid with the members of the hospital Naruto had already evacuated. _"I can feel Chikanari from here, and, though I don't know how, he's somehow gotten a lot stronger since the last time I saw him."_

 _"_ Then come back here and get some of the several S-Rank warriors that are sitting here and _let us help you!"_

 _"There's nothing you would be able to do!"_ Naruto shouted. _"I'm the only one who can create this many clones, use the swift release, and Hiraishin the villagers to Uzu and Nagakita. You focus on helping the wounded!"_

*(OoO)*

Naruto panted as he ducked between two flaming buildings. He almost wished that everything would just be engulfed in a monstrous explosion, like in the capital so he wouldn't have to bear witness to anymore of this hell on earth. His clone had witnessed Hiashi's death up close, and it had not been a pretty sight, but he shoved that thought away as he heard a scream and ran towards it. Backed up against the wall of a shop down the street, a little girl screamed as a giant black beast bore down on her.

The creature reminded Naruto of a massive dog, except with the blunt rectangular head of a rhinoceros and black, leathery skin. Its six red eyes growled as steaming liquid dripped from its maw, and he knew from experience that he would have to be careful when approaching it. These creatures had been sacking the village ever since the attack started. They would pounce on their prey and tear into them with teeth as black as the rest of them. Naruto couldn't be sure what their purpose was, since when they began to devour someone, he had seen that they leeched the chakra right out of them before exploding violently. He could only assume that Chikanari or the people he worked with had orchestrated it to be that way for maximum carnage.

Activating his swift release, Naruto grabbed the girl and warped back to Nagakita where he dropped her off before returning. All day, he and his clones had been stealthily evacuating as many people as they could before Chikanari's hounds reduced the village to rubble. He stumbled as he landed and coughed from the smoke in his lungs. His clothing was little more than charred tatters hanging off his body, and he was covered in blood and burns from fighting off the creatures long enough to save someone from their grasp.

"Just one more," he panted. "Just let me save one more."

Forcing himself to run into one of the burning buildings along the red light district, Naruto summoned up even more clones, gritting his teeth as the excessive use of not just his chakra, but Kurama and Isobu's as well made the very cells in his body seem like they were on fire. He and his clones swept the building and sent anyone they found to Uzu before coming back to Konoha and going to the next building. He was lucky that Chikanari and whoever it had been with him had already left, leaving the hounds to tear the village apart, brick by brick. He screamed as a burning chunk of wood fell from the ceiling and pinned his leg.

"Just… one… more…" He grunted as he pried the beam off of him. "Save one more. Hinata, Kurenai, Konan, Guren, Haku, Anko, Tayuya, Mom, Dad. Save one more. For them."

His throat burned and he screamed as he crawled out from under the beam, leaping out the door and rolling along the ground as the building collapsed behind him. He forced himself up to his feet and continued to mumble to himself as he dragged his body towards the next person in need of help.

Tsunade wept as she listened to her son encourage himself. Yazawa had arrived a couple hours after the attack to draw a modified voice seal that would at least let them all listen to what Naruto was doing as he single-handedly tried to evacuate an entire village. He told them that he had placed one in Nagakita as well after Naruto had forcibly stopped the connection, and not a word had been uttered for the rest of the day as they all listened to the voice of one boy struggling to save as many lives as he could in a village that had scorned and hated him.

 _"Just one more."_

There was a flicker and another sobbing family had been dropped at the gate to Uzu, the smell of smoke and death hanging around them clashed with the crisp night air.

All seven of the girls who held Naruto's heart sobbed while Kurama, Isobu, and Ryuda curled around them, providing as much comfort as they could. The worst of it was when they had to listen to Naruto face off against whatever creatures there were flooding the streets of Konoha. The snarling and grunting as Naruto fought them off while his clone evacuated their would-be victim was heartbreaking, and Tsunade looked out to see almost all of the new refugees were affected by how much Naruto was willing to give to save them and their loved ones.

 _"Just let me save –AGH!"_ Tsunade gasped, and listened as Naruto fought off yet another creature. She and Shizune had long since been given leave from helping with the wounded, unable to cope with healing while listening to the sound of their favourite person going through hell. With a grunt Naruto, they listened as Naruto disposed of the creature, the ensuing explosion that came whenever he destroyed one of them tore another scream from Naruto, and Tsunade yelped as Naruto appeared with an older woman cradled against his chest and a corpse in his other hand. A hospital worker rushed to relieve him of his passengers as Tsunade caught Naruto with a burst of speed.

"M-Mom?" Naruto croaked. His entire back was covered in burns, and there were countless claw marks all over him. Tsunade couldn't help but let out a choked sob as she held her amazing, brave, _stupid_ son to her chest and began healing his back. "Di-Did I do it?"

"It's okay, Naru-kun. You did so well. I'm so proud of you. Now rest, let us take care of you."

"I just kept thinking…" Naruto mumbled. "I needed to save one more. And when I got hurt, I thought about you… and the girls. And Dad. I didn't want to make you sad…"

"We're not sad, Naru-kun," Tsunade said shakily, holding him close. "We're all so happy to see you."

"Do you… do you think I could just rest here for a minute?" Naruto asked, his hoarse voice reminding Tsunade so much of that little boy she had seen laying in the lap of a goddess all those years ago. "I just need… to rest my eyes… then I'll go right back…"

"That's alright, Naru-kun," Tsunade choked out. "Rest as long as you need to. I love you so much." Tears blurred her vision as Naruto smiled and snuggled into her arms, looking so much like the small child she remembered as she slowly stood up and carried him towards his room in the Hokage Tower. Kurama, Isobu, Ryuda, and the girls followed a step behind her, while the rest of the crowd parted respectfully to clear the way. Many of them watched as she carried the boy who had pushed himself further than anyone thought possible to save their lives, despite the fact they had treated him so horribly in the past.

Tsunade allowed herself to stay with Naruto long enough to stabilize him before forcing herself out of his room and leaving him in the capable hands of seven extremely protective kunoichi, two miniature Tailed-Beasts, and an adolescent dragon with all the accompanying attitude problems. Clenching her fists and taking several deep breaths, she threw herself back into the role of Hokage and stepped outside issuing orders left and right for shelters to be constructed, wounded to be tended, dead to be autopsied, and intelligence to be reported.

*(OoO)*

 _Naruto's clone watched from the shadows as the two men confronted Hiashi in the charred remains of the Hokage Tower. Chikanari made quick work of the ANBU protecting the Hokage, and Naruto felt sick as he watched Chikanari start_ eating _one of the men he had dispatched, treating him like a high-class meal as he sunk his teeth into the man's flesh._

 _"Who are you?" Hiashi demanded._

 _"Our names are of no consequence," Chikanari's partner replied. He was a shorter man. His hair was wild, the shaggy main growing well past his shoulders and connecting with the equally haggard beard wrapped around his chin. There were streaks of grey and brown, denoting the man's age, and the robes he wore made Naruto think he used to be some sort of monk or something. "All that matters is our purpose."_

 _"And what is that?"_

 _"Myself and my comrades desire to free the world from the stigma of men like you," the shaggy man said. "You, who give and take the freedom of your people on a whim. You, who manipulates the lives of those you see below yourself to serve your own agenda. You, who would destroy this world with your quest for power. I shall cleanse the world of your filth, and restore it to its natural state."_

 _"Please," Hiashi scoffed. "You think you can stand up to me? I am the Hokage and Head of the Famed Hyuga Clan. And you are within my divination."_

 _Hiashi dashed forward with a burst of speed, Byakugan activated and hands flaring with the pale blue glow of chakra as they blurred through the air in the signature technique of the Hyuga Clan. The shaggy man dodged each palm thrust with ease and retaliated by drawing the katana sheathed at his waist and removing Hiashi's hands at the wrist with a single swipe._

 _"You've mistaken the power you held over your people for true strength," the shaggy man said calmly as Hiashi dropped to his knees, screaming in pain. "Now, die knowing that all your scheming has led you only to the darkness you sent so many others to in your pursuit of power."_

 _One more swing of his blade and Hiashi's head was separated from his shoulders, his face still morphed in a shout of agony as it rolled on the ground next to his slumped over body. The shaggy man cleaned his blade with one last swing and returned it to his sheathe._

 _"Chikanari, come. We're done here."_

 _"And here I was thinking I would actually get a decent meal going with you this time," Chikanari muttered, standing up and wiping the blood from his face as he regained his almost scholarly composure._

 _"Your hounds can feast all they want," the man replied. "We have work to do, and I'm sick of this place."_

 _Chikanari and the man then vanished, almost fading out of existence as they left and Naruto was forced to spring into action as he heard a scream from a nearby house. Warping towards the sound with his swift release, he stabbed the hound bearing down on the frightened shinobi, only for his eyes to widen as the beast suddenly exploded, dispelling him and incinerating the man instantly before collapsing the house down on his corpse._

*(OoO)*

Tsunade, Jiraiya, Itachi, Kisame, Danzo, Yazawa, Kakashi, and Fujika stared silently as the Yamanaka who had offered to help them stopped flowing his chakra through Naruto and the projection seal Yazawa had made. It had been two weeks since the attack on Konoha and Naruto was still unconscious and surrounded by his girlfriends, all of whom were equally as stunned as the leaders after seeing his memories of the attack on Konoha.

"This isn't good," Jiraiya said, finally breaking the silence.

"I can't help but agree," Yazawa said. "We had just started making real headway in re-unifying the Land of Fire after the destruction of the capital. This will make matters worse."

"Danzo, what about the Land of Wind and Suna?" Tsunade asked. "Hiashi had a fairly tight grip on them, what sort of reaction are to expect?"

"Our spies have reported that Suna is more focused on Iwa's continued attacks as well as the fact that apparently their Jinchuriki has gone missing."

"Gaara's gone?" Haku asked. "What about his siblings?"

"They are missing as well. Understandably, Suna is reluctant to name them missing-nin, considering their political and martial usefulness as they attempt to restore order after the death of their Kasekage."

"Strange, I've heard whispers that one of Kumo's Jinchuriki has gone missing as well," Jiraiya said thoughtfully. "Do you think it could be the Akatsuki?"

"No," Konan replied. "Nagato hadn't planned on moving against the Jinchuriki for another couple years at least. He still needed the funds and manpower, and since he's lost several of his high-level members, it wouldn't make sense for them to start now. Also, he would never take Gaara's siblings with him. Whoever he sent to capture the One-Tail would have simply been ordered to kill them if they attempted to stop them."

"Why do I get the feeling he's behind it?" Kisame asked nodding towards Naruto, who was sleeping peacefully, wrapped almost from head to toe in bandages as he rested his head in Kurenai's lap.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Fujika replied. "Naruto-dono is probably the greatest schemer of us all. It wouldn't come as a terrible surprise if he somehow orchestrated it."

"Speaking of Naruto-kun," Itachi cut in. "What do you plan on doing with him?"

Tsunade sighed. "As much as I want to bust his ass back to doing D-Ranks from now until the end of time, Naruto's actions were well thought out. He is the only one who can use the swift release and the Hiraishin, along with his ability to create scores of clones, he was uniquely qualified to evacuate as many people in the village while avoiding casualties."

"Plus, you'd be hard pressed to punish him when the people are already considering him some sort of legend for what he did," Kakashi added.

"It is nice to see the streets of Uzu filled with people once more," Yazawa conceded. "And you've gained the loyalty of practically every clan from Konoha because of his actions, as well as bolstered your ranks from a few hundred to a few thousand."

"Regardless, we should let him rest," Tsunade said, opening the door. "I will contact you all when he wakes up, until then, those under my command should return to their duties."

Everyone but Hinata, Haku, and Tayuya left and they naturally oriented themselves on Naruto's bed to each be in contact with him while Kurama, Isobu, and Ryuda lay curled up around the room. The girls had been taking it in shifts to stay with Naruto, recognising that they could not shirk all of their duties to spend time with him, especially considering Kurenai, Anko, and Konan's higher ranks. They had all been moved hearing Naruto encourage himself to keep saving Konoha citizens, and Hinata couldn't help but tear up as she remembered Naruto's voice projecting through the air as he muttered his names for her and the other girls. She couldn't help thinking that, as unconventional as it was, she was actually quite happy that Naruto had wound up with multiple girlfriends. Their connection to Naruto had provided a support for Hinata to form meaningful, lasting bonds with the others, and she couldn't have been more grateful for them then now.

"How are you doing, Hinata-chan?" Haku asked.

"Yeah, it couldn't've been easy watching that," Tayuya added. "You alright?"

"I know I should be upset at Hiashi's death," Hinata began. "But I simply can't find it in myself to be. When he banished me from the Hyuga clan, I felt like my world was tearing apart, but thanks to you all, I've been able to build a new family. One that actually wants me, and appreciates me for who I am, as opposed to who I should be. I do feel bad for Hanabi who has also lost a father, and many members of the Hyuga clan who are here still regard me with thinly veiled disgust, but I keep finding myself thinking that I can handle whatever they think about me now, so long as I have all of you."

"That's good to hear," Tayuya said with a smile. "Besides, those pompous Hyugas are just mad because Tsunade-sama declared the usage of the Caged Bird Seal illegal and that they would be removed as soon as possible."

"Even so, we may have to keep an eye on them," Hinata countered. "Both houses are steeped in generations of traditions that won't be allowed within Uzu, I worry about what could happy if they become too unhappy with their change of situation."

"If they aren't grateful for my Kit saving their sorry hides, then they're welcome to leave," Kurama grumbled.

"Yeah," Ryuda agreed. "My bro started all this to promote peace and growth. The few civilians here are treated way better than they ever were in Konoha, and Tsunade is starting to really work towards reminding everyone that the shinobi aren't any better than the common person."

A knock on the door interrupted their discussion and Isobu yelped, ducking into his shell as the door opened. Ryuda and Kurama were on their feet in an instant, looming over the visitors while Isobu dragged himself in front of Naruto and the girls, ready to defend them.

"So, you're the 'Terrible Nine-Tailed Fox Demon'," Shikamaru's lazy voice remarked as he, Sakura, Ino, Lee, and Tenten strolled past them into the room. "I thought you'd be bigger."

Kurama slouched slightly at the reminders of his actions that led to the ruining of his Kit's life, and Haku jumped to his defence. "Please don't call Kurama-san that, Shikamaru. He was not in control of his actions when he attacked your village fourteen years ago, and he has done nothing but work to atone for it since. On top of that, if Naruto-kun ever hears you made his surrogate father feel badly about himself, you'll want to have a hospital bed booked ahead of time."

Shikamaru gulped nervously for a moment before reverting to his usual tired expression and taking a seat slouched against the wall opposite the bed. Kurama approached Tenten slowly, and she stood rooted to the floor as he loomed over her, the top of his head just a few inches below hers as he looked her in the eye.

"I heard what you said to my Kit about your parents, and though I know it won't accomplish anything, I would like to apologize. My body was under the control of another when I attacked your village, and by the time that control was released, I was solely concerned about my freedom. I know it's hardly an excuse, but I figured you at least deserved an explanation."

Tenten's eyes were misty as she nodded silently, before, to the shock of everyone –especially Kurama –she leaned forward and gently wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling her cheek against his. "Thank you. It can't be easy for someone who must view us humans as nothing more than ants beneath his foot to lower yourself to apologize to one of us." She pulled back and smiled at the rest of them, her eyes lingering on Naruto last of all. "How is he?"

"This is the closest he's ever come to death since he lost his arm before meeting Tsunade-sama," Haku explained.

"And that's saying something considering the idiot has gone a couple rounds with an _active volcano_ and slept it off," Tayuya added, prompting looks of bewilderment from those who hadn't heard of Naruto's exploits in Yume.

"His body is suffering from extremely acute chakra exhaustion and his chakra pathways are severely damaged from the overuse of Kurama-san and Isobu-kun's chakra," Hinata explained. "On top of that, he was covered in all manner of injuries, including burns, lacerations, broken and fractured bones, and a ton of internal damage."

"Are you sure?" Ino asked. "Because he doesn't look like as bad as you say."

"My and Kurama-nii's chakra's are helping Naruto's to repair his body and chakra pathways," Isobu said. "With Tsunade-sama's help, we've taken care of anything serious or crippling, and he should be up and about soon enough with enough rest."

"Yosh! Naruto-kun is most youthful to be recovering so quickly after accomplishing something of such magnitude!" Lee exclaimed, quailing as three sets of human eyes and three sets of bestial ones glared at him with an order to lower his volume.

"So, I guess we're all shinobi of Uzu now?" Sakura asked, looking thoughtfully at the headband she normally used to tie her hair back.

"That depends on whether you want to be or not," Hinata replied. "Uzu is going to be primarily a shinobi village, with only enough civilians populating it to take care of the day to day amenities. Everything else will be contracted out of Nagakita, so as to establish the understanding that this is primarily a military settlement. That being said, you are free to do as you wish. If you want to renounce your shinobi status, simply inform Tsunade-sama, and none of us will hold it against you."

"Of course, you could also just request a support position, like doctor or teacher," Tayuya offered. "But the point is, Uzu's main goal is to promote social mobility. Anybody can become a shinobi if they so wish, and just because you're part of a clan doesn't mean you get special treatment. The only people who benefit from clan status are the heads, who are given a voice in the goings on of the village along with the democratically elected civilian members. Meanwhile, the Hokage will act as final decision maker, unless an overwhelming majority from both sides are for a certain decision."

"What about the old members of the civilian council?" Tenten incquired. "Are they going to keep their positions?"

Tayuya scoffed. "Not a chance. To be eligible to be elected to the council, Tsunade-sama, Yazawa-sama, Naruto-kun, and Fujika-hime have worked out a number of guilds. The guilds are all meritocracies, with people who excel in their field and showing promise as leaders and representatives having to earn their way in through nomination by someone of note and display of achievement in their field. The members of the guilds will do the bulk of the work running things while the people elected to councils around the nation, including here, will work mostly to negotiate deals for the betterment of their country, village, then guild, in that order of importance."

"So, I guess you really have been hard at work," Shikamaru noted, standing to examine the papers scattered atop Naruto's desk. "How tiresome."

Everyone froze as a groan rattled through Naruto's throat, and his crusty eyes slowly opened, squinting against the light. Activating her voice seal, Hinata announced that Naruto had awoken, and mere moments later his room was crowded as people gathered in droves to see him. They quickly cleared out under the combined killing intent of Tsunade, Shizune, and Kurama, and soon it was just Naruto's girlfriends, family, and those already within the room gathered around him. Tsunade gently took him from Hinata's arms and held him close to her chest as she channeled her healing chakra into him.

Slowly, Naruto regained enough of his faculties to remember where he was and how he got there. They could all see the moment he remembered the attack on Konoha as his entire body stiffened in Tsunade's arms and his croaky, damaged voice cracked with restrained emotion.

"Mom," he whispered, clutching Tsunade close. Kurama padded between everyone and shared a look with Tsunade as he curled his furry body around them both. Naruto noticed his presence and smiled briefly before reverting to his previous frown. "How many?"

"You managed to save about twelve thousand people, Naruto-kun," Tsunade said softly. "That's more than anyone could have possibly expected of you."

They all felt a small pulse of chakra as Naruto's body stilled completely, and when he pulled away from her embrace she saw that he had his Kunshugan active, the six prongs orbiting his spiraled irises slowly. Figuring he must have used to his ability to freeze time and wrestle with the guilt that came from him knowing that the population of Konoha was easily in the realm of thirty to forty thousand. Tsunade felt more proud at seeing her son compose himself and accept that he had done all he could do than witnessing him perform the act itself. She wasn't able to tell how long he had taken, but that didn't matter so much as the fact that he had found a way to move on while still respecting the lives he had been unable to save.

She smiled as Naruto's girlfriends grabbed him and pulled him towards him, eliciting an undignified yelp from him as he was lost in a dog pile of worried and angry women. She and his other guests left them to remind him why he should never risk himself so recklessly again, and she laughed as she closed the door, hearing someone moan the moment they were granted privacy. It seemed that sitting next to him for a solid fortnight without being able to anything but worry had severely pent up the women whom Naruto had managed to charm. Her laugh grew as she registered the blushes on Ino, Sakura, and Tenten's faces, while Lee and Shikamaru merely looked envious. Leaving Kurama, Ryuda, and Isobu to guard his door, Tsunade returned to her office, content to report her son's condition and wait for him to come find her.

*(OoO)*

The smile on Naruto's face had been an almost permanent fixture, even as Itachi and Owryudan were joined by Yugao, one of Tsunade's ANBU agents who left the village with her originally, and Kakashi as they beat him up and down the training area they were sparring in. It had been two weeks since he had awoken after trying to evacuate Konoha, and he had been surprised to see the kindness with which many of the people he had brought to Uzu greeted him as they worked on constructing homes and places of business for the refugees. He had reported to Tsunade everything he could remember, thankful they had at least taken the liberty to use a Yamanaka and a projection seal so as not to force him to have to relive the moment where two men had simply strolled into Konoha and beheaded the Hokage there before leaving, as if they were taking care of a simple errand.

The doctors were still performing autopsies and research on the bodies he had brought back, but Tsunade had promised him that he would be the first one she called to hear the results. Apparently, there truly was something strange about what it was Chikanari and his hounds did to their victims, and this just prompted Jiraiya and Danzo to work even harder to figure just who he and his organization were.

Raising Eclipse, Naruto blocked a slash from Yugao, catching Kakashi's chidori with his other hand and chanelling it through himself to shock her before summoning Corona and lifting it to intercept Owryudan's twin scimitars. The force of Owryudan's attack sunk him into the ground, cracking the earth and making a crater around his feet. Smirking, he focused his chakra, causing his armor to shift and block Itachi's attack as well as he took a swipe for Naruto's neck. With Yugao still stunned from Kakashi's redirected chidori, Naruto swung Eclipse behind him, batting aside Itachi's blade and sending a bit of wind chakra Kakashi's way, causing him to explode in a burst of smoke as the dark slashes of energy carved through him while Naruto used Corona and directed Owryudan's force down, using his water style to try and sweep him.

His good luck didn't last though as he ducked and felt himself pressed against the tip of Kakashi's kunai as a murder of crows congregated in front of him and merged together to transform into Itachi, who held his sword against the other side of Naruto's neck.

"You still need to work on countering genjutsu, Naruto-kun," Itachi said, sheathing his sword. Yugao and Owryudan did the same while Kakashi returned his kunai to its pouch on his thigh.

"Remember, Naruto," Owryudan reminded him. "You have the ability to expand your senses beyond the capability of any genjutsu through the natural energy around you. Don't forget to be one with your environement as you fight.

Naruto nodded and bowed, grinning as Anko dropped down from a nearby tree to greet them. Straightening up, he kissed her on the cheek in greeting, and smiled as she fought down a light blush.

"Tsunade-sama has requested you me and Kakashi meet with her. She wants us to speak to Obito."

Naruto's grin faded, his face exemplifying his seriousness as he sheathed Eclipse at his waist and focused his chakra to send his armor back into its compact form on his back. Donning his robe and shaking the hair out of his face, he held his arm out to Anko, who placed her hand in the crook of his elbow (secretly taking pleasure in feeling the bulging metallic muscle underneath the fabric), and leaned casually on Corona as they made their way back to the Hokage Tower while Owryudan dismissed himself and Itachi accompanied Yugao, both donning new ANBU masks as they headed back into the village to see if there was anything they could help out with.

Tsunade met them at the entrance to the Hokage Tower and Naruto Hiraishined them all to the secured room they were holding Obito within as there had been no hospital to keep him in yet while he slumbered in an induced coma. They had decided to wake him up a couple days after Naruto had regained consciousness, and had refused to speak to anyone. Tsunade was aware of Kakashi's insistence to speak with him, and had finally conceded to allowing him and Naruto to speak to the one responsible for unleashing Kurama on Konoha fourteen years ago and setting much of the events afterward into motion.

Once they reached the door, Naruto immediately took charge, slipping into his own role as leader, and reminding Tsunade that, technically, in terms of the Coalition he was building, he outranked them all.

"Seeing as Dad is a credible enough witness to already press charges, we're not in here for a confession. I want to know _why_ he did what he did. What he would have gained from his actions."

Pushing the door open, Naruto went first into the room where Obito was laying strapped to a bed, huge chunks of his right side missing amid the white flesh that acted as an organic prosthetic. Obito watched them carefully, noting how Tsunade and Anko took seats at the back of the room while Naruto and Kakashi approached the bed, both sitting down as well when Naruto effortlessly created a pair of chairs with his wood release.

"So, that's how you caused me to lose control of my implanted cells," Obito observed. "You have the First's DNA within yourself as well."

"Only distantly," Naruto replied nonchalantly. "You understand the position you're in, correct?"

"I'm in a dark room in Konoha, waiting for my partner to retrieve me and remove this seal before we destroy the rest of the village."

"Not quite," Naruto countered, leaning back in his chair. "Though I will give you points for bravado."

"Why, Obito?" Kakashi asked sadly. "Why would you turn down this dark path? What happened to make you abandon your dreams of becoming Hokage?"

"I merely became more aware of the cruelties of this reality," Obito replied vaguely. "Though if I had to choose a specific moment, a specific reason, I would have to say it was because of Rin."

"I see…" Naruto muttered, standing up and forming several hand seals before raising Corona and touching it to the seal on Obito's forehead. There was a flash of light and Obito screamed while Naruto stood there impassively, the look on his face ordering the others not to intervene. When he finished, he pulled Corona away and frowned sadly. "Obito, you've suffered greatly in this life, and I sympathise with you. That being said, it does not excuse your actions. I have taken your chakra from you. You will no longer be able to use an energy that connects people and the world around them to sow death and destruction in the pursuit of closure. You will never again be able to mold chakra and your chakra reserves have been dwindled down to that of the common civilian, never to grow passed that point."

"Why not just kill me?" Obito snarled, panting hard.

"Because, you welcome death and I have seen enough of it these last few weeks. You will spend the foreseeable future here, until we deem you no longer a threat to anyone. A Yamanaka will be by to read your memories and extract any useful information you have."

Walking out of the interrogation room, Naruto slumped against the wall. He smiled when Anko and Tsunade joined him, Anko taking a place next to him to hold him up. Kakashi remained in the room with Obito, under the supervision of one of Tsunade's ANBU.

"That was exceedingly merciful of you, Naru-kun," Tsunade observed.

"I have a feeling when we examine Obito's memories, we'll find even he wasn't the original mastermind behind everything," Naruto said, holding Anko close and absorbing her comfort. "And if I'm right, I'm not going to execute him for being manipulated and forced to stray from his path. He's no longer a threat, and we now have Uchiha genes should the need ever arise for them –though I'm of the opinion that damned eye should be done away with."

"How did you even do it, anyway?" Anko asked.

"I got the idea after I absorbed Isobu through Yagura. I modified the chakra seal so that it prevented Obito from restoring his chakra reserves while convincing his body that they were always full. Then it was a matter of draining his chakra down to the point of being a civilian. I'm sure it would have hurt him a lot less if I did it more slowly, considering it can't feel great to have your chakra pathways shrink so fast."

"Alright, well, next time, some warning would be nice before you do that sort of thing to our prisoners, okay?" Tsunade said, smiling at the sheepish look on Naruto's face.

Naruto nodded and turned to leave with Anko when he froze for a moment. Tsunade and Anko would have missed it had they not been watching him. They both turned their attention to what he had seen and saw a crowd of people, many of whom were high-ranking individuals in Konoha. Naruto shook off his momentary lapse in composure and immediately turned around, a fake grin plastered on his face.

"Well, if that's all you needed me for, Mom. I'm gonna go train. Have fun dealing with all our new guests."

He vanished with a quick application of his swift release and Anko turned to Tsunade. "What was that?"

"I've never seen him do that before, but Sarutobi-sensei said he used to do it a lot before he became a shinobi. I think it might be him recognising some of the people who were behind the worst of his treatment in Konoha."

"Wait, you're telling me that the people who _dismembered and mutilated_ him were never punished back in Konoha?"

"How could we? The authorities didn't really care, the hospital wouldn't help, and Naruto has never once come forward and given us a single name." Tsunade paused and started formulating a plan as she watched the crowd make its way towards her office. Lucky for her, they would soon realise the mistake of trying to bully Karin into letting them see her. Her new assistant was more than capable of handling anything thrown at her, especially if she was hanging out with Sakura and Kiba at the moment. "Anko, how would you and the other girls like to perform a mission personally requested by the Hokage?"

Anko smiled devilishly. "It would be an honour, Tsunade-sama."

 **A/N: So that brings the Konoha Exodus arc to a close. Unfortunately for our heroes, what was once their safe haven is now filled with not just their allies from Konoha, but those who were less sympathetic to their cause. Now we're going to get to explore some of Naruto's past, as well as his relationships, and flesh out how things are going to be running in Uzu. On the bright side, at least now they are the ones holding power. On top of that, who was the shaggy man with Chikanari? What exactly are his goals? What were those creatures Chikanari released on the village? All questions that I have asked to make this Author's Note seem a little longer and sound like I know what I'm doing! As always thanks for reading and reviewing, and I'll see you next time!**


	36. Chapter 36

Naruto sat in his training area, leaning against a sleeping Ryuda as a small bird flew down to land on his head.

"Hello there," he murmured as the bird hopped down onto his shoulder. Ryuda cracked an eye open momentarily to see who Naruto was speeking to, watching as the small blue bird chirped in reply. "Shouldn't you have flown south already?"

The blue bird chirped again and Naruto nodded. "Oh, that's too bad. Well, if you want, you can stay with me until they come back in the spring."

The bird chirped happily and flew circles around Naruto's head before once again landing on his scalp, nestling itself in his wild hair. "I'm Naruto, by the way. What's your name?"

A lazy chirp sounded from atop his head and Naruto grinned. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Jinsoku. Do you mind if I call you Jin?"

Jinsoku chirped and huddled closer to the warmth coming off Naruto's head while Ryuda went back to napping until he smelled someone approaching and felt Naruto tense against his side. The person smelled vaguely like Sakura, but she was taller and heavier judging by the sound of her footsteps through the snow. Not sensing any danger, Ryuda kept his eyes closed, but remained on alert when Naruto took significantly longer to relax.

"Of course you would be out talking to animals."

"They always did make for excellent company during my childhood," Naruto replied smoothly. "How can I help you, Haruno-san?"

"Don't you go playing coy with me, boy," Mebuki Haruno replied. "I know you're the one behind Tsunade-sama barring the civilian council from returning to their duties."

"Now why would I do something like that?" Naruto asked, sarcasm dripping from his craggy voice.

"You know why," Mebuki seethed. "You've finally weasled your way into having a little power and now you're using it to get back at us."

"Whatever would I have to get back at you for, Mebuki-san? We've barely spoken outside of council meetings."

"This isn't over, _demon_. You're behind this, and I'm going to put a stop to it."

"I am, and you won't."

Mebuki was forced to do a double-take as Naruto openly admitted to her accusations. Standing up he patted Ryuda on the side, indicating he was about to leave. Ryuda stood up, making sure to stretch out and yawn dramatically to remind the pink-haired howler monkey just how large and dangerous a creature he was. He and Naruto walked back to the village at a leisurely pace, and Ryuda forced down a growl as he spied several glares being thrown their way.

"Those ungrateful…" he began only for Naruto to cut him off.

"Don't worry about it, Ryuda. They're just chafing under the new way things are being run. They'll learn soon enough to get with the program."

Raising his right hand, Naruto lazily caught a snowball that rocketed toward him from out of nowhere and grinned as he vanished, only to reappear a moment later with a squirming Haku in his arms.

"Naruto-kun, put me down!" She screeched as Naruto ran his fingers up and down his ribs.

"Would you look at this Ryuda," Naruto said with a smirk. "It seems someone was trying to ambush us."

Haku continued to laugh and screech as Naruto tickled her drawing the attention of many people on the street, most of whom smiled at the cute sight. She calmed down as Naruto ended his assault and turned her around in his arms before placing her gently on her feet.

"I see you've made a new friend," Haku observed as she smiled to Jin who had fluttered down from Naruto's hair to land on her shoulder.

"Yeah, this is Jin-chan," Naruto said. "She lost her family and her boyfriend during their migration and is going to be staying with me until they come back."

Jin tweeted happily and darted back into the warmth of Naruto's hair while Haku giggled.

"So are you terribly busy right now?"

"Well, I was going to explore the rest of the island," Naruto said. "My clones are working on some different projects and we haven't really gotten a chance to see much of this place since we got here. I kinda wanna see if there's anything leftover from when the Uzumaki clan lived here."

"That sounds fun," Haku said. "Do you mind if I come along?"

Naruto grinned pulling Haku closer to him and pecking her on the lips. "Not in the least."

"If you two are going to be all lovey-dovey, I'm gonna head back," Ryuda said. "I can only tolerate so much."

"Alright, Bro," Naruto replied, reaching out and stroking his hand down Ryuda's snout. "Don't get into too much trouble."

"Could say the same to you," Ryuda grumbled, disappearing in a burst of smoke.

"He seems moody." Haku and Naruto turned to greet Kurenai as she joined them with a smile. "Anko's locked in another debate with the Ichirakus over them not selling dango at their ramen store, so I thought I'd come find you."

"He's just grumpy because Owryudan-ojisan isn't letting him train with us until he finishes his next stage of studies, and he doesn't have clones who can help like I do. Turns out leading the Dragon Clan is more than just being the biggest and strongest," Naruto explained. "Sekki-chan and I were just about to go explore the rest of the island around Uzu, you wanna come?"

"Sounds fun," Kurenai replied. "Where are we starting?"

"Why don't we start with those mountains north of the village?"

Kurenai and Haku nodded, and the three of them took off out the gate and around to the north side of the village. Going at a more leisurely pace as they wove their way through the trees, Naruto couldn't help but stop and stare as the sun reflected off the snow and draped Kurenai and Haku in a golden light. He watched, fascinated as Kurenai turned and said something to him, but was too lost in the strange feeling welling up in his chest to notice what she said.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"I said that Ryuda must have his work cut out for him if he's studying up to replace his father one day," Kurenai repeated. "Are you alright, Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah, sorry I was just watching the two of you, and kinda got caught up in the funny feeling it gave me," Naruto replied honestly, scratching the back of his head as he returned to walking. "But, yeah, Ryuda's got a lot of work ahead of him if he wants to take Owryudan-ojisan's place someday. The Dragon Clan are sorta like the supervisors of all the other summons, so he has to have a really good understanding of all the contracts and visit all the different summon realms to familiarize himself and learn from other summons. He hates it though, says the toads made him eat bugs for a solid week and it was the worst thing he'd ever experienced."

"If he hates it so much, why does he want to lead the Dragon Clan so badly?" Haku asked, her and Kurenai having shared a heated look at Naruto's blunt, oblivious statement about their beauty.

"I don't think he hates it, so much as he didn't expect their to be so much work involved, and he's worried he won't be up to it," Naruto said, smiling at a rabbit that scurried across their path. He stopped and kneeled down, reaching his hand out to the rodent and grinned when it hopped over to sniff him before leaping into his arms.

Kurenai smiled as she watched Naruto gently caress the rabit and resume walking. He held out his finger, using his wood release to create a small branch with berries that grew out of the tip and feeding it to the rabbit. Smiling with a bit of mischief, she decided to see if she and Haku could probe for more information on how he felt about them. Sidling up next to him as he continued to walk towards the nearest mountain with the rabbit in his arms, she pressed herself close enough to smell that intoxicating smell that always came off of Naruto.

"Naruto-kun," she asked innocently. "When you said you felt funny seeing Haku-chan and I, what did you mean?"

Haku caught on to what Kurenai was up to and exchanged a smirk over Naruto's back as he bent down to replace the rabbit on the ground. "Well," he said thoughtfully when he stood back up. "There was the normal feeling I get when I see you or any of the other girls, but there was something else too."

"And what was that?" Haku asked, leaning against his other side.

"You see, normally when I see you, Sekki-chan, or you, Tenshi-chan, or the other girls, I feel this weird twisting in my chest. It doesn't hurt or anything, but it makes me feel like my chest is suddenly too small for my heart. At the same time, there's this happiness that makes me feel all warm, like I can do anything, but what I want to do is just keep you in my arms and listen to you talk. But when I saw you two with the sun and everything, it was like… I dunno, kinda like when we're kissing and there's that really hot feeling that runs through you and settles in your core. Only this time, it was kinda like there was also a voice talking to me as well."

"What did the voice say, Naruto-kun?" Kurenai incquired. She was incredibly flattered, and more than a little willing to take him right here and now after hearing his words, but the mention of another voice in his head set off enough alarm bells that she had to keep probing to see if there was anything going on in Naruto's psyche they needed to be aware of.

"It didn't _say_ anything," Naruto replied. "Not really. It was more like, feelings –or instincts –that were both my own, and not. It was like, something was telling me to hold you close, and kiss you, but more than that. I felt like I wanted to almost… mark you or something. Leave something that would let everyone know you were mine. To tell people that touching you meant dealing with me. But that doesn't make sense, because you aren't mine. People aren't things to be owned."

"Are you feeling that way now, Naruto-kun?" Haku asked.

Naruto nodded. "It had eased up, but I noticed that you both started to smell _really_ good, and that feeling is back, sorta like a drum or something in the back of my head."

Looking at him, Kurenai and Haku both saw that his pupils had narrowed down to slits while his nostrils had flared. They both flushed slightly as they realized that his sensitive nose must have picked up the smell of their arousal at his words, though they would need to discuss this primitive side of him that seemed to be trying to direct his actions. Sitting down at the base of a tree facing the bottom of the mountain, Kurenai leaned against Naruto's chest and reached up to cup his cheek, delighting in the strange rumbling sound coming out of his chest as her thumb stroked his whisker marks.

"How do you feel now, Naruto-kun?" She whispered as Naruto's pupils returned to normal and his eyelids grew heavy under the soft stroking of his girlfriends. Kurenai noticed that he seemed to be unconsciously projecting some of his fire release as his body grew warmer and he pulled them both closer to his chest.

"Really good. Like I wanna sleep, but hold you both to make sure your safe."

"Then you should do that," Haku murmured. "Just relax and fall asleep, Naruto-kun. We'll be right here, safe in your arms when you wake up." Naruto's chest continued to rumble while the air traveling through his damaged throat rattled slightly from his steadying breaths. "What do you think is going on with him?"

"I think he's picking up more than just fighting skills from those dragons," Kurenai replied. "Did you notice his eyes when he was aroused? Those weren't the same kind of slits he would get when using Kurama's chakra, not to mention that he wasn't using any of it in the first place. Those were reptilian slits."

*(OoO)*

"What does this mean?" Konan asked. Naruto, Kurenai, and Haku had returned after Naruto had awoken from his nap and realised that it was nearing sundown. Wanting to eat dinner with Tsunade, Shizune, and Kurama, they had reluctantly returned to the village where Naruto bid them farewell with a soft kiss on the lips and an extra tight embrace. Kurenai and Haku then immediately went in search of the other girls and called for a meeting in the small house Kurenai shared with Anko and Konan when they weren't spending the night in Naruto's room in the Hokage Tower.

"Do you think this more… primitive part of him is going to affect his efforts with the Coalition?" Anko added.

Kurenai shook her head. "No, it seems that Naruto has perfect control over it. He was speaking completely calmly about it even as he mentioned that it was beating like a drum in the back of his head. I think this… animalistic side of his is more linked to his emotions –something Naruto makes a point of never letting cloud his judgement –and he only really feels its effects around us."

"What do you mean by that?" Hinata asked.

"When we were walking in the forest, though I don't think he was perfectly aware of it, Naruto described his desire to… take us, as his mates," Haku replied embarassingly. "He said that he wanted to do more than just kiss us before leaving a mark to tell others we were his."

"Something he quickly discarded as he thought that the urge he was feeling was to own us like slaves," Kurenai added.

"He does know about sex, right?" Tayuya asked worriedly.

"One of the projects he and his clones are working on is an Anti-Rape Seal," Anko offered. "So he must know something about it."

"It could be that his knowledge about it is purely academic," Hinata suggested. "Think about it, when in Naruto's life would he ever have had the opportunity to learn about the strange things he's feeling? Other than Tsunade-sama's monthly visits, everything he knew before becoming a shinobi was from either overhearing other people talk about it or reading it in a book."

The others frowned sadly as they were reminded of how terrible Naruto's life had been during his childhood. "It's easy to forget sometimes that as intelligent and mature as Naruto is, he never really received any education concerning many things we take for granted."

"Well, I dunno about you girls, but if being Naruto's mate means getting to be with him like we already are, only with the added benefit of crazy wild sex, then sign me the fuck up," Tayuya proclaimed, smirking as they all turned to look at her in bewilderment, various shades of red tinging their cheeks. "What? It sounds hot. Naruto is already extremely protective of each of us while respecting our decisions, and if you ask any of those Inuzuka bitches, they'll all tell you that he's, like, the prime example of an Alpha to him."

"Don't you think it would be kind of, you know, degrading?" Haku asked.

"Look, if I didn't give a shit about what people thought of me sharing my boyfriend with six other girls, then I sure as hell don't care what he labels the relationship as," Tayuya countered. "Naruto's the best guy I've ever met, and I kinda like that he's more in touch with his wild side, while still keeping complete control over it. It lets him look at things from a different perspective while still being able to make informed decisions."

"When you put it that way, it does sound… enticing," Anko replied salaciously. "Ladies, I do believe that I've found my next conquest."

"You know if we're right about this, you'll be the one being conquered, right?" Kurenai deadpanned, already used to her best friend's antics.

"I'd like to see him try," Anko shot back.

"Not before I have a go at him first," Tayuya exclaimed.

"This can only go wonderfully," Guren muttered sarcastically, even if part of her was already fantasizing about what a night with Naruto would be like.

"Alright, I propose a challenge," Anko announced. "The first one to get into Naruto's pants and be marked by him _while_ still being respectful of him –that means nothing overt, no forcing him, or otherwise manipulating in any way that you know would make him uncomfortable –will get first dibs on his next five free days. The last one to do it, has to take last dibs at his next five free days after that. The other condition is that he has to be aware of the bet before consenting."

Kurenai sighed as one by one they all put their hands in over Anko's, Haku, Hinata, and Guren all blushing madly as they did so while Konan looked intrigued and Tayuya looked downright giddy. Reluctantly, she finally put her hand on top of the others, blushing as she thought about what they were about to do.

"Ladies," Anko looked around the room, a mischievious smile on her face. "Let the games begin."

*(OoO)*

Inside the Hokage Tower, Naruto was seated at a table in the living quarters next to Tsunade and Shizune while Kurama lay curled up on the ground near the heater, slurping up a bowl of ramen when a shiver crept up his spine. Raising his eyebrow at the strange sense of dread that filled his bones, Naruto shoved it and the bolt of excitement that followed aside and returned to his lovely, lovely ramen.

*(OoO)*

"This aside, do you think we should tell Tsunade-sama?" Guren asked after they separated and returned to their seats.

"Naruto's pretty open usually," Anko replied. "If he hasn't told her already and he brings it up to one of us, we should just ask if he's spoken to her about it. Frame it in a way that makes him think it might be something that could impede his ability to protect his precious people and he won't stop until he's found a solution to it."

"Now that we've cleared that up," Kurenai said. "Has anyone made any more progress on our mission from Tsunade-sama?"

"I saw him speaking with Mebuki Haruno," Haku said. "He seemed fairly tense even when he was acting calm and composed."

Konan sighed. "Well, it's a start, I guess."

"Naruto-kun has been generally trying to keep away from the majority of the refugees he brought back from Uzu," Hinata supplied morosely. "On top of that, there are still plenty of them left in Nagakita that we haven't seen."

"True, but Naruto doesn't live in Nagakita," Tayuya countered. "I thought the point of this mission was to find the people who were making Naruto feel unsafe in his own home."

"It's to figure out who from the old establishment we can trust," Anko said. "There are too many people here and in Nagakita for us to properly vet, even with Kurama's ability to read their intentions. If we can find the people who willingly took part in the torture of a child, then it would be easy to blacklist them and those who support them."

"What about the clans?" Guren asked. "It's clear that they're chafing under the new way things run. What are we going to do about them if they suddenly decide they don't like how little influence they now have?"

"Then they can leave or take it up with Naruto, and the many S-Ranked fighters who support him," Anko replied bluntly. "Our job is just to figure out who hurt our boyfriend and try to gather enough evidence to press charges."

"So long as I can be part of the people doling out the punishment, I don't really care either way," Tayuya growled sadistically.

*(OoO)*

Naruto and Tsunade sat her in her office with Shizune, Kakashi, and Ino. Both had brought the reports on the autopsy of the deceased from the attack on Konoha and the reading of Obito's memories respectively, while Ino was there to offer her thoughts as the one who conducted the reading, and were waiting while Naruto and Tsunade read through them before trading and reading the other.

"How did you finally end up figuring out the cause of death?" Tsunade asked, eyes not leaving the folder in her hand.

"That was actually thanks to Guy-san," Shizune replied. "As a frequent user of the Eight Gates, he recognised the signs of the damage that came with having them opened. Near as we can tell from examination of the victims' injuries, those creatures somehow have the ability to forcinly cause a person to open the seventh of the Eight Gates: The Gate of Wonder. The creature then proceeds to extract every ounce of the victim's chakra from their body, while simultaneously injecting just a little bit of its own. The agony from having a foreign chakra forced into their body causes the victim to writhe in pain, tearing their body apart as the multitude of torn muscles that are a result of the Gate of Wonder being opened are aggravated over and over. Finally, once it has finished feeding, as Naruto-kun's eye-witness testimony states, the creature becomes overloaded with chakra and explodes, usually disintegrating any trace of the victim in the first place."

 _Unfortunately, this just gives us more questions than answers,_ Naruto signed. _I doubt these creatures are born from nature, so we have to figure out how, and where they are made. Chikanari has already shown that he has the ability to summon monstrosities and abominations, but we don't really know anything else about him._

"There's also the matter of the man you saw with him who killed Hiashi," Tsunade added. "The way he spoke made him sound like he thinks he is doing the right thing by assassinating world leaders and destroying their cities." Placing the medical report on her desk, she turned her attention to Kakashi and Ino. "Tell me about what you found in Obito's memories."

"As you thought, Naruto, Obito was not the one behind everything," Kakashi reported. "Though it may come as a surprise, the true mastermind behind Obito's corruption and the Akatsuki was, in fact, the real Madara Uchiha."

"What? How is that possible?" Tsunade demanded.

"H-He said that he had merged his cells with the First's, Hokage-sama," Ino stuttered. Her face was pale and there was sweat dripping down her neck. Naruto immediately stood up and grabbed her, pulling her over to the nearby couch and channeling his chakra into refilling her strained reserves. "He said that your clan and the Uchiha clan were founded by two brothers and-and by combining Shodai-sama's cells and chakra with his own, he was able to extend his life and gain access to the Rinnegan."

"That is concerning," Tsunade murmured. "What else did you find?"

"Madara Uchiha planned on recombining the nine Tailed-Beasts into the Ten-Tails and becoming its Jinchuriki," Kakashi continued. "He was going to use its power to cast a powerful genjutsu called Infinite Tsukuyomi that would trap the entire population of the world in a realm of illusion where their greatest dreams would come true. He knew he wouldn't survive long enough to see his plan to fruition though, even with the increased longevity he received from your grandfather's cells, so he indoctrinated Obito and implanted his Rinnegan into the current leader of the Akatsuki. Obito was to either manipulate Nagato into using his Rinnegan to bring Madara back to life, or take his Rinnegan and do it himself once the Tailed-Beasts were all collected."

"So that means that without Obito, Madara's plan has failed, correct?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kakashi replied. "Though we should remain on the lookout for Obito's partner, Zetsu. It's an artificial lifeform made out of the cloned cells of your grandfather and has been acting as Obito's handler while Madara is dead."

 _Zetsu will abandon Obito once it learns that he no longer has any chakra, or thinks that he's dead,_ Naruto signed, his face thoughtful. _It's entirely possible he will continue manipulating Akatsuki, and if there's a chance of that happening, then we still need to make sure that they are a top priority to be on the lookout for._

"Ino found several other pieces of information that should be of use to both Uzu and the Coalition and included them in the report," Kakashi supplied. "I would recommend taking a closer look at them when you have the chance."

Tsunade nodded and smiled in Ino's direction. "I will, and thank you Ino for helping us with this extremely important task."

Ino smiled shakily, the colour slowly returning to her face. "I'm sorry that you had to come to me, Hokage-sama. There are others in my clan who would have been much more qualified to do this without nearly collapsing from chakra exhaustion, if only they'd get their heads out of their asses."

"They just need time to adjust to the way things work here," Tsunade replied, waving off the apology. "In the meantime, you have proved yourself to be an exceptional Kunoichi."

Ino smiled and was about to reply when Haku's distressed voice rang over Naruto and Tsunade's voice seals.

 _"Naruto-kun, Tsunade-sama, I need you here immediately. There's trouble with the Hyuga Clan and Hinata-chan needs help."_

Naruto vanished from the room before she had even finished speaking while Tsunade quickly dismissed everyone, ordering Shizune to come with her as they sprinted toward the western edge of the village where the Hyuga had made their home.

Naruto landed within the new Hyuga compound in time to block a stray Gentle Fist strike and bind every person within a thirty foot radius in powerful coils of wood.

 _"What is going on here!?"_ He roared, his voice carrying an undercurrent of primal rage.

Hinata and Haku –the only two not bound by aggressive flora –looked up at him from their position on the ground while Neji shouted from his bindings.

"Stay out of this, Uzumaki! This is Hyuga business! That traitor to our clan wants to undo generations of tradition and bring about the end of the Hyuga!"

Tsunade and Shizune arrived just as Naruto growled, his pupils narrowed into slits. Putting a calming hand on Naruto's shoulder, Tsunade looked out among the gathered crowd, noting that a good chunk of them were members of the Main House while only a select, devoted few from the Branch House were agreeing with Neji's words. Many of the others, including Hanabi Hyuga she noticed, looked conflicted.

"I'll remind you, Genin Hyuga, that Hinata is not a member of the Hyuga clan anymore. Which means that whatever issue you and your compatriots have with her is to be taken up with myself and the council."

Neji quailed slightly under the authoritative tone in her voice but resolutely kept glaring at Hinata. "Fate has put us on a collision course, Hinata- _sama_ , and fate will show you that you're efforts to dismantle the clan your forefathers built are doomed to fail."

"How can you say that?" Naruto growled. "Don't you _want_ to be free of that seal on your forehead?"

"Unlike many of the others of his generation, Neji understands the necessity to protect the most powerful of the bloodlines," a taller Hyuga who looked slightly older than Hiashi spat. Naruto saw that he was a member of the Main House and felt his anger rise.

"Anyone who lays a finger on a citizen of Uzu outside of a consentual sparring match in one of the training areas will have me to answer to!" He shouted, flaring his, Kurama's, and Isobu's chakra in a brief maelstrom of power. "And once I've beaten the stuffing out of you, then I'll be bringing you before the Hokage, the Shogun, _and_ the Princess of the Land of Fire who will all decide how best to remind you that attacking a comrade is amongst the _highest_ of offences!"

The wood receded and the Hyuga all scurried back to their semi constructed homes while Naruto kneeled down next to Haku to closely examine her and Hinata. "Are you alright?" He asked softly as he held them both close.

"Yes, we were just a little startled is all, and knew that you and Tsunade-sama would be the quickest way to avoid a brawl in the streets."

"I'm sorry I brought all this onto us," Naruto murmured. "Uzu was supposed to be our safe place. A new beginning."

"Don't ever apologize for saving lives, Naruto-kun," Hinata told him, staring into his brilliant sapphire eyes, not wavering as the reptilian slits of his pupils stared into the lavender depths of her soul. "You did a great thing saving them from sharing Konoha's fate, they're just afraid. So much is changing around them, and now those changes are threatening the few things that they've always known to be true."

Naruto nodded and hugged her and Haku close. Haku saw the look on Tsunade's face as she observed them and knew that they would be having a discussion with her later concerning her son's bestial rage and their easy acceptance of his rapid shift in temperament. Nodding minutely and mouthing the word _tonight_ Haku turned her attention to the crowd of regular bystanders, frowning as she felt a pair of eyes watching them, Naruto specifically, from somewhere nearby. Unlike the curiosity of the civilians watching them, this feeling she got was tinged with the slightest hint of killing intent. The feeling passed and she saw a head of brown hair walking away in the general direction it had been coming from, but scowled as she lost the observer in the parting crowds.

The world blurred momentarily and Haku suddenly found herself beneath the tree where she, Naruto, and Kurenai had taken a nap the week before. Naruto pulled away from them, and Haku noticed that his eyes were still slightly slitted.

"Naruto-kun, are you still having those feelings like you did last week?" She asked softly, taking care not to push him.

Naruto paused and looked thoughtfully into space before returning his attention to them and nodding. "Yeah, I am. They were really strong when I thought you two were hurt, and it sorta felt like there was a part of me that wanted to tear anyone who had tried to hurt you to shreds, but now it just sorta feels like I want to keep you close. Also there's that really good, really weird feeling I get when we kiss as well."

"Naruto-kun, those feelings are alright," Hinata murmured with a smile. She pressed a kiss to his lips and whimper when he returned it with vigor. "It's a natural reaction. That's your body telling you that you find us attractive, a-and w-want t-t-to, you know, p-p-procreate." Her cheeks lit up as she slowly lost her nerve, determinedly looking anywhere but at Naruto as he processed what she was saying.

"Oh," he said, astonished. "So that feeling I get is just me wanting to have sex with you girls."

Now it was Haku's turn to blush, even as Hinata swooned and lost the ability to form coherent thoughts. "Th-that's right, Naruto-kun." _God_ , she wished Anko or Tayuya could be the ones having this conversation with him. They were both shameless and would have a much easier time explaining to Naruto that he was feeling aroused by their presence. Then again, there was always the bet to keep in mind, and either one of them were liable to take advantage of the situation to give Naruto a more… immersive explanation of what he was feeling and how he should act on them. "Naruto-kun," she asked, shifting gears. "Along with those feelings of desire, have you spoken to your mother about these more… primal feelings you've been having?"

Naruto frowned, his eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "Primal?"

"Yes, the way you describe some of these feelings, don't you think they sound familiar to anything you've studied on animal behaviour?"

"When you put it that way, yeah, I guess they sorta do," Naruto conceded. "Maybe that's what that scroll Owryudan-ojisan gave me meant."

"What scroll?" Hinata asked, finally regaining cognisance.

"When I unlocked the fifth stage of my Kunshugan, Owryudan-ojisan gave me another scroll that was supposed to help me with mastering the changes that came with entering the second half of the Kunshugan's maturity."

"Can we see it?" Haku requested.

Naruto nodded and reached inside his robe, unsealing the golden scroll and unfurling it. The scroll itself was blank, but Haku's unspoken question was answered when Naruto activated his Kunshugan and began reading aloud.

 _"As the Dragons rule over the various realms of summoning, so too does the Kunshugan provide its wielder with the instincts to rule their brood._

 _As the Kunshugan matures, the user will become more and more in tune with the world around them. The Inner Dragon will slowly come forward, taking the soul's form and consuming the energies therein, growing as power without consciousness feeds it and pushes both man and beast past their limits._

 _The Kunshugan will grow with its wielder, strengthening body and mind as it does sight. More than a presence, the wielder of the Kunshugan will see the paths the spirit takes as it merges with the body. As the previous stages of the Monarch grant complete control of the energies within, the more mature stages grant greater control of those without._

 _Fear not the instincts of beast as they merge with the wisdom of man. The union is one of balance, and thus both sides must be accepted. To deny instinct is to fall to the beast and its rage, to deny wisdom is to fall to the man and his folly. To deny oneself is to fall to the weakness within."_

*(OoO)*

"Well, that certainly clears things up," Tsunade muttered sarcastically. Naruto had gone out for a walk with Jinsoku, deciding that now would probably be the best time to explore some of the surrounding landscape without being distracted by attractive girlfriends or world affairs. None of said girlfriends were particularly worried about him, considering the few people within the village who could go toe to toe with Naruto without him holding back were all firmly in support of him, and despite many of the villagers quickly getting over their gratitude from being miraculously saved from a gruesome death –finding problems left and right with their new lives to constantly complain about –none of them were anywhere near stupid enough to try attacking him, realising that they no longer had any form of defence. This gave Tsunade and Shizune the perfect opportunity to meet with them in Kurenai and Anko's house, joined by Kurama, Isobu, and, surprisingly, Owryudan in his human form. "Owryudan-sama, do you have any idea what this means?"

"While I have no experience with these sort of developments," Owryudan said. "It seems to me, that as the Kunshugan matures, Naruto will develop a second facet to his personality. We often refer to our more base instincts as our Inner Dragon, and warriors of the Dragon Clan train tirelessly to master it."

"Master it how?" Kurama asked. "Do you supress your instincts in favour of rational thought?"

Owryudan shook his head. "Not quite. Warriors of the Dragon Clan do train their minds and meditate in order to keep their composure in the heat of battle. But there is more to mastering one's Inner Dragon than merely keeping yourself from being consumed by bloodlust. Dragons are creatures unique in the power of our minds and spirits being just as great as that of our bodies. That is why we are the true masters of natural energy. We train endlessly to achieve balance within and extend that skill to the molding of sage chakra. To master the Inner Dragon means to find the balance between the primal instincts of an animal, harnessing the raw strength that comes with it, and the wisdom of the mind, controlling that strength and directing it usefully to accomplish our goals. But for a human to have developed one is unprecedented."

"What did it mean by the dragon would consume Naruto-kun's soul?" Shizune asked. "Is he going to turn into a dragon in a human's body, or something?"

"In a sense, he already has," Owryudan replied. "He has already claimed seven mates, and yet waits to mark them as his. He has shown an aptitude for the various nature releases and natural energy, and his skill in battle is only matched by his ever growing intelligence. And if you pay close attention to the wording, the scroll said that Naruto's Inner Dragon would take the form of his soul and consume the energies within his body."

"So that means that it's going to consume his chakra," Konan surmised. "Is that bad?"

"Not at all," Owryudan replied, reassuring the people around him. "I believe that it is written with a hint of metaphor. As Naruto and his Kunshugan develop and mature, I expect that his chakra signature will change to start matching that of a dragon. Though, Kurama and Isobu may wind up finding themselves significantly lacking in power so long as they choose to remain outside of Naruto's body."

"Why's that?" Kurenai asked.

"Because, Naruto's body is absorbing our chakra and merging it with his own," Kurama informed them. "Without our spirits inside him, our chakra is nothing more than two massive pools of energy sitting inside of him. Eventually, they will be assimilated into Naruto's own chakra reserves as his body works to correct the fact that there are three separate pools of energy that all respond to his will."

"That would put trememdous strain on his body!" Tsunade exclaimed.

"On a normal human, you would be right," Isobu countered. "But we can already feel Naruto's spirit consuming our chakra, and because of the conditioning Kurama-nii's chakra gave him as an infant, mixed with his astounding healing factor, his body quickly adapts to the increase."

"How long do you think it will take to completely absorb your chakras?" Tayuya incquired.

"Isobu's will probably be gone within the next month or two," Kurama replied. "Mine will take significantly longer."

"And you're both alright with that?" Anko asked. "Having all of your chakra sucked up like that?"

Kurama sighed and stood up walking into the middle of the group. "The way I see it, I'm more likely to keep the freedom Naruto has given back to me if I'm not able to be seen as some powerful weapon for you humans to destroy each other with. My chakra will be consumed and converted into Naruto's own chakra, which means Akatsuki's plans will have no chance of success, and there is no one I would trust more in the world to hold that kind of power than my Kit."

"So, what should we do moving forward?" Guren asked. "Will this Inner Dragon impede Naruto's desire to achieve his dreams?"

"I will begin training him in the Realm of the Dragons," Owryudan answered. "Ryuda will soon reach the point where he must learn to master his own Inner Dragon, and I'm sure they would both prefer to do it together."

"Doesn't time move faster in your realm though?" Tayuya questioned. "What happens when he leaves to train and winds up coming back an old man?"

Owryudan chuckled. "It is nothing quite as dramatic as that, I assure you. I propose that Naruto split his time between training in our realm and doing missions in yours. This will speed up the process of him safely assimilating Isobu's chakra, derailing the remainder of Akatsuki's plans, and allowing you to keep him as the political leader of this Coalition he is intent on building."

"How long would he spend in your realm?" Tsunade asked.

"With his healing factor, I believe he would be able to tolerate traveling between our two realms every week of your time. That should give him roughly two weeks with me to train his Inner Dragon before returning here to resume his duties around the nations already allied to you."

"That seems agreeable," Tsunade replied. "Though, I think he should stay in your realm until the rest of Isobu's chakra has been absorbed, that way we can deal with Akatsuki at our leisure. So perhaps him spending a month or two of our time with you would do some good."

"In that case," Owryudan said. "He and I will leave as soon as he returns. He will bid you all farewell, and we will leave to begin his training immediately afterward."

 **A/N: And there we go. We approach a time skip and get to have a few moments of fluff and humor as the ladies start considering different antics to get Naruto to take them on a one way trip to pound town. I wanted to add a little levity in here after the series of heavy events Naruto and the gang have gone through, so that'll be fun to inject in as things starting taking a turn from bad to worse and the world slowly approaches the chaos of war. It also was a decent opportunity to take a peek into the other ways Naruto's blessing is affecting him, and how his character will change as he walks the line between beast and man. On top of that we get more information about Chikanari and his organization, but it only leads to more questions than answers, and tensions are seen to start simmering underneath the surface as the refugees try to become accustomed to their new lives. Anyway, hope you liked it and thanks for reading/ reviewing! I'll see you all next time!**


	37. Chapter 37

The relative peace within the Elemental Coalition of Nations lasted long enough for the Land of Water to declare its civil war over as Kitani took his rightful place as Daimiyo while Mei accepted his noinating of her as Mizukage, much to the chagrin of Baisho and several others. Tensions in Uzu had slowly lowered as people began to realise that they were either going to have to get with the program or leave, and those who did soon found that most of the Land of Fire had adopted the same operating procedures within its villages. Six months had passed since anyone had seen hide or hair of Naruto, and while peace may not have been an appropriate description for the atmosphere both in and outside of Uzu, no one was willing to disrupt the uneasy quiet.

Construction of most of the homes for the Konoha refugees was nearing completion, and while many people from clans still attempted to throw their weight around, both civilians and clanless shinobi alike quickly learned that Tsunade and her new council of _trusted_ advisers were generally quite happy to remind them how light they were. More Jinchuriki continued to go missing as Han and Roshi, the Jinchuriki of the Four-Tails, joined Gaara, his siblings, and Yugito Nii of Kumo in disappearing without a trace.

The alliance between the members of the Coalition had worked out well, now finally being put on paper. The three nations involved drafted the agreement that would provide resources, wealth, and protection between any nations involved within the agreement with the hope that the risk of economic consequences on top of a gathered alliance of military strength would help in keeping the peace. The economic benefits of the Coalition had been the main focus of those working on it over the last few months as they reached out to influential business people to gain their loyalties, stating that more profit could be made if they didn't have to worry about the chaos of war as well as offering those that signed on certain benefits when it came to hiring shinobi to work for them.

Tsunade was working on one such agreement when a hooded figure flickered into existence behind her. The hooded man loomed ominously over her as he took a single step forward.

"You'll have to try harder than that to get the drop on me, Naru-kun," Tsunade grunted, stamping her signature onto the paper.

"Aww, come on, Mom, you're no fun."

Tsunade grinned as she turned in her seat and stood as Naruto shrugged the hood off his head. He had grown significantly in the time he had been gone, easily taller than her already, and the lingering baby fat on his face had melted away –more of a testament to the intensity of his training than his physical maturity –leaving him with the face of a handsome young man that still retained some of its boyish charm as he flashed her his signature foxy grin and wrapped her up in a big hug.

"I've missed you too, Naru-kun," Tsunade whispered as she rested her head on her son's shoulder, nostalgia filling her heart when she remembered how their positions used to be reversed, "I take it we made the right choice letting you stay with the dragons for longer?"

Naruto leaned back and released her as he started signing excitedly. _Oh yeah! I've gotten way stronger! I'll be able to do even more now to help out around the Coaliton now. And you should see Ryuda! He's gotten huge! And he's working on his own human transformation now as well, says he has to have it done before Owryudan-ojisan will let him start training with weapons and the higher leveled techniques of their clan._

"And how about your Inner Dragon? Have you made any progress mastering that yet?"

Naruto's smile faded slightly and he pouted in frustration. _I haven't quite got it. Ryuda's way better than I am at that sort of stuff, which is totally unfair considering he hates meditating and pretty much anything that doesn't have to do with a fight, but Owryudan-ojisan said that I've come a long way. He told me that I should continue my meditations while I'm back here._

A knock on the door interrupted Tsunade and she composed herself, taking a seat behind her desk and gesturing towards the couch for Naruto to sit on. "Speaking of which, that's the reason I've called you back outside. Come in!"

The door opened and Naruto grinned as Gaara and his siblings entered the office followed by Mei and Jiraiya.

"Thank you for seeing us, Hokage-dono," Mei said with a bow. It was clear that she was still somewhat uncomfortable being in a role of power equal to someone of Tsunade's caliber, but Naruto thought she hid it well to everyone else.

"Hey, guys!" Naruto greeted excitedly from his seat on the couch prompting smiles from Mei and Jiraiya while Gaara's eyes crinkled and his siblings looked at him appraisingly.

"Naruto-kun, it's great to see you again!" Mei said cheerfully. "I guess Tsunade-sama really took our report seriously then."

"If it concerns the Coalition, it concerns Naruto, as he is the head of it," Tsunade replied. "That goes doubly if it involves Jinchuriki."

"What's happened?" Naruto demanded, his gravelly voice serious as he stood up.

"Yugito-san was captured by Taki forces," Gaara supplied. "We were all hiding out in the Land of Water, when we heard the news."

"Kumo isn't taking the news well," Jiraiya added. "This is more than likely going to be the spark that ignites a war between the Lands of Lightning, Wind, and Earth as Iwa and Kumo forces fight to take control of Taki."

"What about Suna?" Naruto asked.

"Danzo's agents have said that Suna is going to wait until the fighting between Kumo and Iwa dies down before taking out the victor. They're still not quite as strong as they were when they invaded Konoha, but that's become more of an issue of resources, something the Land of Wind will always gladly support the acquisition of."

"I see," Naruto said thoughtfully. "Our first priority is the Jinchuriki. If they end up releasing their tenants, there will be extreme casualties as I won't be able to safely absorb them both at the same time."

"So, it is true," Gaara muttered. "You can safely extract a Tailed-Beast?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, how did you know?"

"The tiny version of the Three-Tails hanging out in a pond behind the Hokage Tower was our first clue," Kankuro deadpanned.

"Why do you want to know about Naruto being able to extract Tailed-Beasts?" Tsunade asked.

"There are a group of shinobi after Gaara called the Four Celestial Symbols men," Temari replied. "All we know is that they are from the Land of Wind and after Shukaku. They hounded us constantly until Yugito-san managed to get us to the safehouse in the Land of Water."

Nodding, Naruto turned to face Tsunade, his scarred face a mask of professionalism. "Permission to request a team to support Gaara and his siblings in rescuing Yugito from Taki imprisonment?"

"Granted," Tsunade replied. She quickly looked through some of the documents on her desk before continuing. "You will command a four-man cell will be comprised of Shikamaru, Guren, Tayuya, and Taisa Amagiri. There are two other four-man cells operating near the border in that location, and a squadron of samurai should be stationed in the closest border town, you have permission to assume operational control over the shinobi, and I would recommend you do the same with the samurai while I send word to Yazawa to inform him of the situation."

Naruto nodded and grinned to them all. "It really is good to see you all again. Two years is a long time to be away from home."

With that, he vanished once more, leaving a thoroughly confused Jiraiya and an irritated Tsunade.

 _Two years!?_ Tsunade thought angrily. _That giant gecko has some explaining to do._

Gaara and his siblings left soon after that and Mei turned to Tsunade to address the other reason she had come to visit.

"We've been combing through Yagura's files and we found that he wasn't the only customer the slavers had been selling to."

"Oh, and who else would we be interested on that list?" Jiraiya asked.

"How does a reunion with your old teammate sound?"

*(OoO)*

Ichiraku's Ramen had been a pillar of stability to many people in Konoha. Even now, the stand looked almost identical to the one Teuchi's father had built all those years ago. The only difference now was that next to the large professional characters proudly reading _Ichiraku's Ramen_ was a small wooden plank with the words _and Dango_ sloppily painted on its surface. That little addition had been Anko's own personal masterpiece after months of arguing with Teuchi and finally getting his daughter interested in selling something other than ramen. It was here that she and Kurenai spent most of there free time. Ayame had proven to be quite skilled in the preparation of her favourite dango, and Teuchi's skill with broth and boiling ramen extended to knowing how to prepare one of the finest cups of mint jasmine tea Kurenai had ever had.

It was well known that both women enjoyed that particular haunt, choosing it as a safe haven from the unwanted advances of the male population who believed that they could squirm their way into their beds while their boyfriend was off training. The fact that the Ichirakus were well known as being especially close to Naruto served well to remind people of who it was both ladies were waiting for to return from his training trip.

Kurenai now sat at a table across from Anko when one such example of male idiocy threw his hat into the ring. Ayame came up to their table, replenishing their tea and dango when Kurenai looked up at her confusedly.

"Ayame-san, we never ordered these."

"They were a treat from the fella at the front," Ayame replied, hitching her thumb over her shoulder at the man sitting hunched over a bowl of ramen. He was dressed in a long black traveling cloak with the hood hitched up over his face.

"Another one?" Anko asked, annoyance saturating her tone.

"I told him you two were spoken for, but he simply said that you'd be more than willing to get out of here with him after sharing a bowl of ramen with him," Ayame replied.

"Oh, we'll see about that," Kurenai muttered standing up and walking over to where the man was just finishing his meal. Sitting down on either side of him, both women glared at him while he merely kept his face hidden from view. "So you think a bowl of ramen is all it takes to convince us to go to bed with you, huh?"

"I never said that," the man replied, his voice was gravelly and vaguely familiar to them both as he raised his hand for another bowl. "I simply said that you would want to get out of here after sharing a bowl of ramen with me. You're the ones who made the insinuation that I was looking to proposition you."

Anko leaned in real close, pressing a kunai against the man's thigh as she tried to feel out his chakra signature. "And why would we want to go anywhere with you in the first place?" She asked sweetly, pressing the kunai a little harder into the thigh of his right leg. To her frustration, the man seemed amused by her attempts to scare her and merely reached down to remove the kunai from his thigh.

"Well, right now, it seems that I won't even need the ramen," the man said with a chuckle. "I hadn't planned on it, but if you'd like to, we can take this to a training area away from the public eye. I'd hate to embarrass you both in front of so many people."

"You seem awfully cocky to think you could take on two of Uzu's best kunoichi," Kurenai whispered her one hand clicking her ninja to out slightly out of its sheath while her other pressed her senbon launcher into his side.

"And you seem awfully jumpy to be challenging a man simply for offering to share a meal with you both," the man countered. "Could it be you don't often receive invitations to dine with someone else?"

Kurenai dropped some cash on the table, her pride stinging as Anko growled and they all suhnshined to the nearest training ground.

"And would you look at that, I was right," the man remarked casually from the tree above their heads. "I did get you to leave the stand with me."

"I've had enough of this cocky prick," Anko snarled. "Who are you, and how the hell did you get into Uzu?"

"You don't recognise me?" The man asked in mocking disappointment before he suddenly vanished and Kurenai felt the point of a blade against her back while Anko gasped when cold metal encircled her wrist. "Have I really been away that long, Hebi-hana? Tenshi-chan?"

Both Anko and Kurenai froze before whipping around and staring into the smiling eyes of an older Naruto. He was much taller than them both now, and his face had matured nicely, even as he grinned foxily down at them both. His smile grew when he hugged them both close planting a dizzying kiss on their lips. "I've missed you both so much."

"Naruto-kun!" Anko and Kurenai cried out, tackling him to the ground.

"Woah, careful you two, I'm only a clone," Naruto chuckled as he wrapped his arms tightly around their waists. "Boss has to prepare for a mission tomorrow, so he sent us to make sure you all were properly greeted before he left."

"That's so thoughtful of you, Naruto-kun," Anko crooned, nipping into the exposed skin of his neck. "So, how much punishment can your clones take?"

*(OoO)*

Haku and Konan were training together in one of the training fields when Konan felt someone join them. Calling for a halt to their sparring match, she turned towards the treeline where a tall, hooded man was standing casually on a bench, watching them.

"Can we help you?" Konan asked calmly while preparing herself for trouble. She may have been amongst the strongest people in Uzu, but that was no reason to let her guard down. Especially considering her status as a former missing-nin ensured most of the refugees who now populated Uzu gave her a wide berth, knowing better than to openly challenge her or any of her S-Ranked compatriots, and if it wasn't one of the villagers, that meant this stranger had found a way through the multitude of defences around Uzu. That meant she was looking up at someone who was easily on the same level as Yazawa and Jiraiya, at least in Fuinjutsu, and should be ready to move in an instant.

"I just came to watch a match between two of the finest and most beautiful kunoichi Uzu has to offer," the man said in a gravelly tone. He vanished from where he was standing and reappeared within Konan's guard before she could even react. She braced herself for injury until the man extended his chakra out in a familiar aura of peace.

"Naruto-kun?" Konan asked, smiling when Naruto removed his hood.

Haku and Konan both shrieked with joy as Naruto pulled them into his arms and held them close. "Hello Hasa-chan, Sekki-chan. I've missed you so much."

"Naruto-kun!" Haku exclaimed. "You've grown!"

Naruto grinned as he pulled back. He was now nearly six feet tall, his training and balanced diet doing wonders for his growth, among other things. His blond hair fell over his right eyebrow while the rest was tied into a ponytail at the base of his skull that reached down just passed his shoulder blades. His shoulders had gotten broader, and the falsh of skin beneath his cloak and robes revealed rippling muscles just beneath his collarbone.

Haku had also grown slightly, and her curves had matured over the last six months, but compared to her boyfriend, she had barely changed in appearance.

"When did you get back?" Konan asked, burying herself in the comfort of his embrace after six months without.

"Just today," Naruto replied. "Mom had a mission for me and I have to leave tonight, so the Boss sent some clones to make sure I greeted you all before leaving."

"Well, if we're short on time," Haku offered suggestively. "Maybe we should make the most of it?"

Naruto grinned and both Haku and Konan cried out in laughter as he pulled them to the ground with him.

*(OoO)*

Hinata, Kiba, and Shino were just finishing up from a training match when a familiar voice caught all of their attention.

"Good to see you making use of those."

Reacting on instinct, Hinata fired off an arrow, gasping as she flared her Byakugan and realised just who she had shot. Luckily, the arrow never met its mark as Naruto simply plucked it out of the air and warped to right behind her, replacing it within the quiver at her waist.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata squealed, whirling in place and kissing him deeply. She sighed as Naruto enthusiastically returned her affections and she felt much of the stress from the last six months wash away. Being back in the same village as the Hyuga Clan had been taking its toll, and the timely arrival of her boyfriend was just what she needed after months of feeling like she was the cause of the mounting tensions within her old clan. When they finally separated, Hinata grinned as she leaned her forehead against his own and felt Naruto's chakra extend around them before reaching out to touch hers. "I've missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you too, Ao-hime," Naruto muttered, placing another kiss on her lips before pulling her close and addressing her teammates while she snuggled into his chest. "Hey, Kiba, Shino. How you been?"

Kiba released the flow of chakra to the claws on his fists, extinguishing the fire surrounding them, and grinned as he removed them and walked up to smack Naruto on the shoulder. "Geez, Naruto, you've gotten massive!"

"I concur," Shino replied as he too approached. "It appears that you have hit a rather remarkable growth spurt over the last six months."

Naruto now stood over them both, looking far more like an adult than any of them. Shino and Kiba both looked largely the same, though Kiba had traded in his fur-lined hoodie for a black leather jacket, and Shino now wore a different baggy coat that left the top of his head exposed. Akamaru had the most dramatic growth as he now reached up to Kiba's knee, barking happily as he sniffed Naruto. Hinata had also grown. Her hair was longer and reached down just past her shoulders, while her body had matured, growing taller with somewhat more developed curves. She had switched from her baggy, concealing jacket, to a lighter, somewhat less conservative one that was black with a burnt orange trim and at least showed that she had curves.

Preferring to keep the details of his training to himself for now, Naruto merely grinned and nodded. "Yeah, you know how it is. Push ups, sit ups, and plenty of juice." Kiba laughed, while Hinata merely enjoyed his presence, snuggling a bit more into his chest and drawing his attention back down to her. "I'd love to catch up with you guys, but I just got back and Mom already assigned me a mission, so me and the other clones would like to at least spend some time with my girlfriends while the Boss prepares to leave tonight."

Kiba and Shino smiled and nodded understandingly, dashing through the woods back towards Uzu as they left Naruto and Hinata to reacquaint themselves with each other.

*(OoO)*

The original Naruto decided to wait until it was time to leave to meet with Tayuya and Guren. He wanted to surprise them, but also not distract them as they prepared to leave tonight. He had returned to his room, where Kurama was laying curled up and chuckled when he opened the door and a small blue blur zoomed into his hair, excited chirping ringing through the air from between his messy locks.

"It's good to see you too, Jin-chan," Naruto said with a grin as Jinsoku burst back out of her little nest on his head and landed on his shoulder, rubbing the side of her tiny head against his whiskered cheek and prompting a rumbling from Naruto's chest at the feeling. "Did your family come back?"

Jinsoku tweeted happily and Kurama raised his head to observe his surrogate son. "Welcome back, Kit."

"Thanks Dad," Naruto replied. "It's been a long time since I've been back here."

"And you're only back to prepare for another mission aren't you?"

"Yeah, sorry about that. I guess the catching up is gonna have to wait." Naruto scratched his head sheepishly and stood up to start opening scrolls full of supplies and double checking their inventories before sealing them up and shoving them into the pocket of his robe. He removed the cloak covering him and hung it up on a hook that he made sprout form the wall.

Kurama shrugged. "That's life. I can tell that you've become quite a bit stronger."

"Oh yeah," Naruto said happily. "I'm kinda excited to get to show off a bit on this mission."

"Well, make sure you don't get too cocky. All that training you did with Owryudan isn't going to mean squat if you get yourself or others killed because you overlooked something."

"I won't," Naruto replied, rolling his eyes, even as he felt a thrill of happiness through his chest. He quickly changed his clothes for more mission appropriate wear and opened up the door again. "I'm gonna go hang out in Mom's office, my Hiraishin map is there and I wanna see if she has any extra info for me about this mission."

Kurama nodded and replaced his head on his forepaws as he closed his eyes once more. Only once he heard the door shut did he allow the smile to spread across his face. It had been a long six months without his Kit. It really was good to see him again.

*(OoO)*

Nightfall came and Tayuya, Guren, Ino, and Taisa were gathered at the gates to Uzu. Tsunade had given them a new mission to support Gaara and his siblings in infiltrating Taki, The Village Hidden in the Waterfalls, and they were supposed to be leaving that night as soon as their fifth arrived.

"Ugh, where are they?" Tayuya whined, bouncing from foot to foot.

"Patience, Tayuya-chan," Guren replied gripping her hand. "We'll be out of here soon enough."

"Never thought I'd _want_ to leave Uzu," Tayuya grunted as she looked back into the village. Without Naruto to be the driving force behind his ideals, many of the refugees from Konoha had quickly gotten over their gratitude and gotten straight to work on trying to re-establish the way things ran in Konoha there. Tayuya, as a staunch supporter for the system Naruto had helped build, had not made many friends, especially considering her brash attitude and several of the shinobi formerly from Konoha remembering her as one of Orochimaru's stooges. She yearned for the day Naruto came back from his training with the dragons, and couldn't wait to get to work by his side again as they strived toward a better future than the one they had been expected to live.

"Sorry I'm late, were you waiting long?"

Tayuya and Guren both spun in place and shrieked with joy when they found themselves face to face with an older, taller, _much more handsome_ Naruto, who grinned down at them with mischief in his eyes. They both tackled him and he grunted from the impact, taking a step back to keep from falling over.

Naruto laughed and held them both close as he kissed them each thoroughly before looking up at a curious Gaara, an envious Kankuro and Taisa, and a furiously blushing Temari and Ino. "I've missed you both as well, and we'll have plenty of time to catch up, but right now, Yugito-nee needs our help. We're going to be using the Hiraishin to warp to Birashina, and from there we'll make our way to the border of the Lands of Fire and Waterfalls. We'll also be meeting with two other four-man cells who will act as our support as we locate and infiltrate Taki while samurai stationed near the border will provide outside support against forces from the Lands of Earth and Lightning."

Everybody nodded and reached out to lay their hand on Naruto. The landscape around them blurred and distorted, and less then a second later, they all found themselves on the outskirts of small farming village. A quick command from Naruto had them abandoning the roads for the forest in an attempt to make a straight shot for the border and hopefully avoid any Taki shiobi guarding it. They ran for several hours before Naruto called for a halt and to start preparing camp. Once the tents were erected and the fire lit, Naruto created several clones to aid Tayuya in keeping a look out while he found a nice spot under an old oak tree to meditate. Tayuya's shift had ended and she switched with Taisa when Naruto finally felt someone join him and take a seat in front of him.

"What can I do for you, Gaara?" He asked quietly, though he already had an idea as to the answer.

"I want you to extract Shukaku from within me," Gaara said, his voice equally as low as he stared imploringly into Naruto's eyes.

"You understand that extracting it will mean you lose your ability to mentally control your sand, right?"

"I do, but I believe that, despite his insanity, Shukaku deserves to be free just as much as any of the other Tailed-Beasts. Also, whatever the people hunting me want its power for will have failed if Shukaku is freed and without all its power."

Naruto activated his Kunshugan, freezing time as he contemplated Gaara's request. Returning his eyes to their passive state, he sighed and created another clone to replace him as he held his hand out to help Gaara to his feet. "Alright, but we have to go back to Uzu to do this."

The gratitude in Gaara's eyes reaffirmed Naruto's resolve that he was doing the right thing as they warped back to the top of the Hokage Tower before Naruto used his swift release to warp them once more to the top of one of the surrounding mountains, leaving another clone behind to inform his mother of what was happening. They landed on the mountaintop and Naruto held his hand out, summoning Corona from its place sealed within his robes.

"I'm going to need you to hold my staff and focus on only channeling Shukaku's chakra. If possible, convince him that he's fighting to be freed and let him pour it through himself."

Gaara nodded and once Naruto was properly prepared, grabbed hold of the staff. Both of them released a scream of pain as Shukaku's chakra was ripped out of one and forced into the other. There was a bright flash of light all around them, and huge explosion of chakra shook the mountain upon which they stood. When it was finished, both Naruto and Gaara were on the verge of collapse, with Naruto only having the energy to create Shukaku's new body and place the appropriate seal on him before warping them both back to the Hokage Tower where Kurama and Isobu could explain things to Shukaku and then returning to their camp, where Naruto promptly threw himself onto the ground and fell asleep, only just remembering to enter his mindscape and start working on repairing his chakra network. He wasn't even aware of the two figures slipping out of their tent and curling up next to him while Temari and Kankuro attended to Gaara.

He was finally done repairing his chakra network just before sunrise, his increased chakra reserves and training making the process much easier, especially considering Shukaku had only a quarter of the chakra Isobu did when Naruto absorbed him. Naruto smiled when he woke up to find Tayuya and Guren curled up around him with Ino sitting nearby on watch. Slowly disentangling himself from his slumbering girlfriends, Naruto rose to his feet and joined Ino on the tree branch from which she was keeping watch.

He chuckled when his sudden and soundless appearance shocked her out of her semi-conscious watch and grabbed her arm to steady her before she had a chance slip off the branch.

"So, how have things been while I was away?"

"Could be better," Ino grunted. "My dad's somehow at the head of the pack of clan shinobi who aren't happy being treated the same as everyone else, and the rest of our clan isn't happy with me because I'm not on their side."

"They'll come around," Naruto said. "Now that I'm back, we're going to be kicking the Coalition into full gear, so they'll have even more changes to get accustomed to."

"And what about if they refuse?" Ino countered. "You can only force people to give up so much of what they've known before they start to push back."

"You're worried I'm gonna turn into some sort of tyrannical conqueror with plans for world domination, aren't you?" Naruto asked, an eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face.

"I know you won't," Ino replied, a light blush on her face. Something about Naruto's sheer presence was putting her on edge, but not necessarily in a bad way. "But you can't deny that from the outside, there are some people who will think that. You've already got the Land of Hot Water, and two of the Five Great Nations answering to you, it's only a matter of time until others start to see you as a threat."

"While you do have a point, and I do have to admit, there is a certain rush that comes from the realisation of just how much power I've amassed since becoming a shinobi, there's a big difference between me and your average conqueror."

Ino was forced to look away as her cheeks warmed even more at the sight of Naruto's pupils narrowing slightly when he mentioned enjoying the power he wielded but still managed to barely keep her voice steady as she spoke. "And what's that?"

"I didn't conquer any of the countries that are part of my Coalition. They joined of their own free will. The entire point of the Coalition is it being a deterrant to war by providing benefits to those who join and imposing alternative consequences to those who would try to start another war. I don't want to rule the world, I just want to keep it from tearing itself apart."

At that point, Naruto left to go wake up the others. He and Gaara both popped soldier pills to finalize their recovery after the extraction the previous night, and after finally pulling himself from two very pleasant distractions, Naruto had them pack up camp and continue on their way.

The day proved to be uneventful until near sundown when they were contemplating how to best cross a swamp near the border between the Lands of Fire and Waterfalls, Naruto called for silence as he felt several presences surrounding them.

Out of the bushes, a green blur shot out towards him with a vibrant shout. Naruto took the destructive kick to his stomach, tumbling into the muddy swamp with his opponent while the others snapped into action. Within moments, ten other potential ambushers were imprisoned within pillars of sand and crystal while Tayuya's Doki snarled alongside Taisa in his beetle form.

"Wait!" Naruto shouted, trudging out of the mud and dragging a dazed Lee behind him. "They're our back up."

"Wait, Naruto, is that you?"

"It's good to finally see you again, Iruka-sensei," Naruto replied with a smile. He casually waved his hand through the air, and the pillars of sand and crystal both disintegrated without either Guren or Gaara willing it. Finally free, they all realized who they had captured. Standing before them were two four-man cells. The first was comprised of Kanagi, Shikamaru, Sakura, and Iruka, while the second was the original Team Guy, only they were being led by Kiba's older sister, Hana. "I didn't think you went out on missions anymore."

Iruka scratched the back of his head sheepishly and grinned. "Yeah, well my new girlfriend convinced be that I'd be of more use as a Jonin Sensei considering Uzu hasn't finished construction of its ninja academy yet, so I took the Jonin exam and am out on this mission with Hana-san's team to see how well I do with my own command."

"That's awesome, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed. "Maybe someday you and I can go out on a mission together!"

"While this whole student-teacher reunion thing is touching," Hana interrupted. "I feel I should ask what you all are doing here."

Naruto nodded and took out a scroll from his robes and tossed it to Guy who immediately started reading it while he informed the other shinobi what it said. "Hokage-sama has sent us on a mission to infiltrate Takigakure and extract certain people of interest. As such, I have been given command of both your teams to ensure the success of this mission."

"Bullshit," Kanagi said. "Why would you be given your own command over so many people? You're nothing but a deadlast."

"What he says is true Kanagi," Iruka said sternly, having read the document once Guy was finished with it and handing it back to Naruto, who took it and burned it to ash with a thought. "And if memory serves, Naruto was the one who beat you in the preliminaries of the Chunin Exams, was he not?"

Kanagi shut his mouth, scowling angrily while Sakura, Shikamaru, Tenten, and Lee all greeted Naruto enthusiastically, happy to see him again. Neji recused himself from the reunion as well, glaring bitterly at Naruto as he smiled and laughed with his friends.

"Well, seeing as we've all met up a bit earlier than expected," Naruto reasoned. "We can make camp here for the night and continue on our way tomorrow."

"Naruto-kun!" Lee shouted as everyone broke off to prepare for the night. "I must ask that you spar with me so that we may compare who has grown the most through our individual training!"

Naruto chuckled and looked towards the others, who all seemed excited to get a glimpse of how much Naruto had grown during his six-month absence. "Alright," he replied, shedding his robe and handing it to Tayuya while leaving Corona standing in the mud next to him. He was garbed in a simple long sleeved shirt that showed his collarbone and the top of his pectoral muscles with its low collar, and was black with burnt orange stripes down the length of the arms as well one that ran along his spine. His legs were covered by baggy, black knee-length pants that were tied off with burnt orange bandages covering the rest of his legs. His bare feet slid through the mud as he lowered himself into a fighting stance, Lee doing the same about twenty feet away.

"This is going to be a pure Taijutsu match!" Iruka called out. "No weapons or other techniques of any sort will be used. Remember you two, this is a simple sparring match, and we are on a mission, so no going all out or doing anything that could attract more attention to us than necessary. The first to three points wins."

Naruto and Lee both nodded, eyes fixed on the other. Iruka raised his hand in the air and dropped it, signalling the beginning of the match. Before he had even finished pulling his hand back, Naruto and Lee had already cleared the twenty feet between them, meeting in the middle as Lee performed a flip through the air, looking to hit Naruto with an axe kick that many of the others could barely even track.

Naruto sidestepped the kick easily, using his momentum to duck and spin while lashing his hand out and catching Lee's descending leg by the Achilles tendon. Taking advantage of Lee's rotational movement, Naruto yanked up on his leg, causing Lee to continue rotating and driving his face down into the mud. Recovering quickly, Lee wrapped his legs around Naruto's arm and flipped him over his head, smashing Naruto's back into the ground. Naruto took the counter in stride, spinning on his shoulder blades as Lee's fist smashed into the ground where his head had just been. Hopping onto his hands, Naruto completed the spin by landing a devastating kick to Lee's jaw, picking him up off the ground as he flew away. Lee backflipped away to gain some distance, but slipped on the loose mud, providing Naruto with an opening.

Naruto rushed in and the two exchanged a fury of blows, blocking and dodging just as often as they were kicking and punching. Unfortunately for Lee, his sandaled feet were having a hard time in the sticky mud, the restriction against using chakra to provide a stable footing affecting him more than Naruto, who moved through the mud like it wasn't even there. Eventually, they found themselves in a stalemate, both gripping each other's fists in a contest of pure strength.

It seemed at first that Lee might win their little battle of wills, but Naruto smirked and stepped back, bending down at the waist and bringing Lee with him, only for Lee to once again take a kick to the face that sent him staggering back. Lee barely had any time to regain his footing before Naruto appeared behind him, poised to deliver one last punch to Lee's temple, only to feint when Lee raised his arms to block and deliver one last crushing blow into Lee's side just below his ribs and knocking the air out of his lungs.

Iruka called the match, and Naruto stood up, smiling as he offered Lee his hand. Lee grinned and reached out to cross his first two fingers over Naruto's before Naruto reached down and pulled him to his feet. Lee felt chakra flow out of Naruto and into him, before his grin widened at the feeling of his injuries being healed.

"That was a good match, Lee."

"Indeed, Naruto-kun! That bout was most youthful! It seems Guy-sensei and I must increase my training if I wish to reach your level of skill!"

Naruto laughed and quickly waved his hand over them both, causing the mud to simply rise of their bodies and return to the ground beneath their feet as they walked back to the firmer ground where their camp had been made. He noted that the sun was almost down and tossed a small fireball at the pile of wood that would be their campfire with a flick of his wrist. The tinder ignited, and he grinned as he reclaimed his robe and grabbed Corona.

Sitting down between Tayuya and Guren, Naruto couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he wrapped his arms around their waists and couldn't help but think to himself as he looked around at his gathered friends.

 _Man, it's good to be back._

 **A/N: So, the time skip wound up being longer than they thought and Owryudan wasn't entirely accurate on the time difference between the two realms. Naruto is now back and on another mission, this time to Taki, and also now has Shukaku's power within him. As it stands, it's not his goal to absorb all the Tailed-Beasts, even if freeing them is, it just so happened that Gaara came to him with that request. On top of that, just because it's being hinted at Naruto having unfathomably large chakra reserves, that does not mean he's anywhere close to reaching the realm of Godlike. He still has a long way to go in controlling and mastering the monstrous amounts of power within him, and even then, there will be enemies that will find ways to challenge him. There was also a brief look into how Naruto's Inner Dragon has affected him, making him more comfortable with the idea of being in power, while maintaining still maintaining his ideals. Lastly, all characters now generally look like what they do in Shippuden except a little bit younger, unless explicitly stated, like in the case of Naruto and Hinata.**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing, and I'll see you all next time!**


	38. Chapter 38

"So, Iruka-sensei, what's it like leading your own team?" Naruto asked across the campfire.

"It's not too bad," Iruka said. "It helps that the team I was assigned to is comprised of students I taught back at the Academy, but I guess I have Tsunade-sama to thank for that."

"Iruka-sensei's been doing a great job as our leader," Sakura praised from her seat on a fallen log next to Taisa. "Kakashi-sensei wasn't too bad as far as teachers go, but he left a lot to us to figure out on our own."

"Not to mention spending all his time with little Sasuke-kun," Kanagi muttered bitterly. Sakura flinched but otherwise ignored him as she continued.

"Iruka-sensei instead tries to communicate with us as much as possible. Though we still have to work on some things."

Naruto grinned as his old teacher smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as he blushed under his student's praise.

"So, Naruto," Shikamaru said from his seat next to Temari (though not too close, as dealing with those kinds of implications would be far too tiresome), "how and why are we planning to infiltrate Taki?"

"I've been wondering that myself," Hana said from her own position between the triplets. While her dogs all bowed submissively to Naruto when he approached them and had happily licked him when he held his hand out for them to sniff before giving them each a piece of jerky from one of the storage seals within his robe, Hana herself was obstinately refusing to listen to her instincts. He may have beaten her and her mother in a fight, and then saved them all from Konoha's destruction, but there was no way she would accept this brat as her Alpha. His very presence made fire burn through her veins, setting her more primal instincts ablaze and flushing her face as she struggled to retain control of whatever it was stirring within her, her anger helping to temper her more canine instincts as they warred with her human rationality. "No one has ever invaded Taki, let alone infiltrated it. What makes you think you can pull it off?"

"Taki has captured a person of interest from Kumo," Naruto explained. "They may have never been invaded, but that's because no one has ever found the proper entrance to the village, and it doesn't stop Kumo and Iwa from tearing the rest of the country apart as they attempt to find this person. Our goal is to stop the Land of Waterfalls from becoming a battlefield by beating both Iwa and Kumo to the punch. Coalition samurai will try to work as peacekeepers, defending various villages around the country and diverting attacking forces elsewhere while we secure the prisoner from Taki and return with them to Uzu where they will be safe."

"That still doesn't explain how you plan to _find_ Taki," Neji sneered.

"I have a couple methods of securing its location," Naruto replied evenly. "Especially now that I know I have a Byakugan user and one of the best Inuzuka trackers at my disposal."

"So, you're going to split us up," Shikamaru assumed. "Have on group with Neji and Hana to actually look for Taki while you go and find someone who can help you locate it, right?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nope, we're going to be traveling through a foreign nation that may see us as hostiles while two other known hostile groups are in the process of invading the country. Under those conditions, we are going to be sticking together at all times unless I say otherwise. The documented area where it the general consensus of Taki's location resides is about seventy kilometers in diameter and filled with so many waterfalls that it would take Iwa and Kumo years to properly search them all. Instead, one of my clones is gonna leave a Hiraishin Seal within the area in case we do need to get there quickly, while we all head to the capital."

"That makes sense," Iruka agreed. "If anyone outside of Taki would know of its location, it would be one of the high-ranking individuals working with the Daimiyo."

Naruto nodded and stood up to stretch. "Everyone get some rest, we leave just before dawn. I'll take first watch. Gaara you're exempt from guard shifts until your sleeping habits have been properly restored."

Gaara nodded, and Naruto vanished, ignoring Kanagi's outcry of injustice as the others prepared themselves for bed. Guren and Tayuya decided to both stay up and easily found Naruto reclining in a branch above the camp, both leaping up to snuggle up next to him and planting deep kisses on his lips and exposed neck.

"You know," Naruto growled quietly as he palmed Tayuya's thigh and sucked on Guren's neck. "I'm not sure this branch can handle the three of us going any further than this."

"That's alright," Tayuya panted as she pulled her lips away from his chest and rested her ear over his heart. "It wouldn't be fair to the others if we won the bet while on a mission."

Naruto rasied an eyebrow, curious. "What bet?"

"The seven of us bet who could be the first one to be taken as your mate," Guren explained breathlessly. "The winner gets first dibs on spending five of your free days with you, while the loser has to take last pick of five of your free days. Though, we agreed that missions don't count since there's no way for the others to compete while you're away and spending all your time with a select few."

"And so you were all planning on trying to seduce me to win this bet?" Naruto asked.

"It's cute that you're trying to act all indignant when we can both tell that you're trying valiantly not to take us right now," Tayuya cooed, stroking Naruto's cheek.

Naruto's chest rumbled pleasurably and his pupils narrowed into tiny slits as he looked between the two of them. "So long as you all are comfortable with it as well," he growled. "I won't have any of you feeling pressured into doing more than you're comfortable with because you were afraid you wouldn't get to spend any time with me."

Tayuya and Guren swooned a little bit at how considerate Naruto was being even as they saw the beast within him wrestling to come out and simply claim them there and then. They both planted one last kiss on his cheeks before curling up on his chest, content to bask in the safety of his arms and the comfort of his chakra spreading out like an aura of security.

Morning came quickly and Naruto awoke Gaara about an hour before they were to leave so as to test his skills with his sand now that it had to be actively controlled. They practiced various drills, slowly getting Gaara used to the revised style of combat he would be using. He had chosen to act primarily as support, stating that he would rather use his strength to protect others and shield them from harm rather than inflict it himself. Naruto agreed and they worked on a number of defensive maneuvers, while sharpening the offensive ones Gaara already had, due to him needing to directly manipulate his sand to attack even before Shukaku being extracted from his body. Once the hour was over, Naruto shed most of his clothes and manipulated the water out of the nearby swamp to shower himself and clean off any sweat that had accumulated during his training with Gaara. Confident he was once again clean, he dried himself with the same technique and dressed himself once again, completely oblivious to the stares from the female members of their group as he had been out in the open as he bathed and with only a tight pair of boxers on, there had been very little left to the imagination.

They quickly packed up afterward, and with the decision to circumnavigate the swamp made, quickly made their way around and towards the border to the Land of Waterfalls. With the combined abilities of Naruto, Neji, and Hana, they managed to evade a couple dozen Taki shinobi guarding the border as well as the Land of Waterfall's samurai forces. One of Naruto's clones would deal with them when it led the first squadron of Coalition samurai to the border, where they would politely make the request to aid in efforts to defend the country's people from the two warring nations that would simply cast them aside as collateral damage. His clone would also explain that shinobi from Uzu had infiltrated their country along and were making their way north towards the capital, and ask that a request for a meeting be sent up the chain of command to the Shogun and Daimiyo of the Land of Waterfalls.

The day passed quickly as they evaded three fold surveillance from Taki, Kumo, and Iwa, while Naruto sent another clone within the area of Taki to leave the Hiraishin marker. Once they cleared the area where Taki was supposed to be, they were met with far less resistance, and about three hours past midday, Naruto received the memories of his dispelled clone stating that they were to meet the Shogun in a village not far from their current position as an act of trust.

Calling for a halt, he relayed the change in plans to his suboridinates, ignoring the hostile muttering of Kanagi and Hana while Neji simply glared at him disapprovingly. Turning west, it took less than an hour for them to reach the edge of the forest and resort to walking along the dirt road through the mostly barren plain towards a small village surrounded by walls and guard towers. Curious as to the increased militarization of what looked to be a village that was primarily used as trade center considering the lack of farmable land surrounding it, Naruto extended his senses out as far as they would go.

"We need to move," he ordered a moment later. "Now."

"What did you find?" Guren asked.

"This village is right in the middle between Kumo and Iwa base camps," He replied. "They're about twenty kilometers to the north and south respectively, and they're on the move."

They all followed him as he sprinted towards the village, covering the last mile in a little less than a minute. He came to a halt before a great wooden gate attached to a wall made of spiked logs and shouted up as a fearful samurai poked his head over the side.

"W-w-what goes… I-I mean who goes there?" He cried.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto shouted back, chanelling his chakra to his throat for the first time in almost two years. "We're a group of shinobi from Uzu on a mission for the Elemental Coalition of Nations. Your Shogun told me to meet him here as an act of good faith before meeting with your Daimiyo."

"Open the gates!" A gruff voice shouted from the other side of the wall.

Naruto sighed in relief as the heavy wooden gate opened and they were greeted by a rugged older man in worn, battle-scarred armor surrounded by about fifty fearful young man, all with their swords drawn and pointed towards them.

"I assume you're the Shogun," Naruto said, cutting the man off as he opened his mouth to greet them. "There will be time for pleasantries later, but for now, the shinobi you've been caught in the middle of are moving on this position. We need to get into defensive positions." There was a beat of silence as the gathered samurai stared at him and his group incredulously before Naruto growled in frustration and channeled more chakra to his voice, this time simply to project it as he allowed its more bestial qualities to rise forth. " _Now!_ "

The older man snapped into action and started barking out orders while Naruto did the same to his shinobi.

"Priority number one is the safety of the civilians, followed by the samurai protecting them. Gaara, Guren, you two are both going to be up on the wall, use your sand and crystals to reinforce their defences. Shikamaru and Temari, you're with the Shogun providing tactical support where you can. Sakura, Neji, Kankuro, and Kanagi will remain within the walls with Iruka-sensei, providing medical support as well as taking care of anyone who manages to get through the defences. Tayuya, Hana, Tenten, Lee, and I are going to go outside the wall and fight on the front lines. Iwa and Kumo want to capture this village in order to establish territory within the Land of Waterfalls as well as use it as a battlefield for their own conflict. Keep them outside the city and try to let them kill each other rather than risk yourselves."

Everyone nodded as Naruto exuded an aura that demanded obedience while relaying orders and they all split up to handle their individual assignments. Naruto watched out of the corner of his eye as the walls surrounding the village were reinforced with pillars of sand and crystal, while the first of the shinobi breaking out of the treeline were captured within prisons of their respective elements.

Chaos erupted as the already shaken samurai forces broke before the coming pincer of shinobi rushing towards the village. Naruto stored Corona away and unsealed Eclipse as he observed the attacking forces. He commanded his own shinobi to wait, and at the last moment, just before the dueling armies clashed, he charged. He bobbed and weaved his way through the battling forces, Eclipse glinting in the sunlight as it danced through the chaos, slicing and stabbing wherever it found an opening while alternating between its various chakra infused attacks. He and his men focused on individual skirmishes between Iwa and Kumo, waiting until one side was defeated before swooping in and incapacitating the other.

The fighting lasted for a good two hours before the opposing armies were forced to acknowledge the village defenders and the fight truly turned into a three way battle. Leaping high into the air, Naruto locked his muscles and activated his Kunshugan, freezing him in place high above the fighting as he analysed the entire situation from a bird's eye point of view. Near as he could tell, while the fighting took place all around the small village, the majority of both Kumo and Iwa's forces were congregated in front of the main gate, battling each other for the opportunity to battle their way into the village and claim it for themselves. Gaara and Guren were doing a fantastic job of covering the remainder of the wall, and Naruto could see that none of his own forces were more than thirty feet from the wall at any one time, leaving an area about two hundred feet across comprised solely of hostile forces.

Reaching deep within himself, Naruto felt his Inner Dragon roar and allowed his chakra to flood his body. The metal disks attached to his back flew out of his shirt and took their positions floating around various points on Naruto's body while a cloak of chakra surrounded his body. The burning red and blue energy mixed and coalesced around the disks into the vague shape of fiery translucent, black armor, and four fox-like tails of chakra flared out from his shoulder blades while a fifth took its usual place at the base of his spine. Finally, the cloak made of chakra wirled around his head, concealing his face and taking a shape similar to the head of a dragon, the burning glow of his Kunshugan the only thing visible through the dark chakra.

With a burst of energy, the tails on his back flapped like the wings they were emulating and rocketed Naruto through the air as he channeled earth-natured chakra through the blade in his hand. There was a deafening boom that made everyone freeze and halt their fighting as Naruto shattered the sound barrier and slammed into the ground in the middle of the opposing forces with the force of a small meteor. He sunk Eclipse down into the earth, creating a secondary rippling shockwave that tore through both armies and lifted most of them off their feet.

Naruto then spun in place, a tornado of black flames erupting as Eclipse spun with him, incinerating many of the enemies within a thirty-foot radius. Once the flames had faded, Eclipse vanished even as its water chakra created a cloud of miniscule blades that razed the still stunned enemy while he crouched down and flicked his tail before rocketing through the survivors of the original onslaught, a maelstrom of elemental power tearing through them and quickly scaring the rest of the force from Iwa and Kumo into retreating as the five primary elements were joined by blasts of lava and steam, while trees sprung up from the ground in Naruto's wake. Unfortunately, they didn't get far as Naruto rose up into the air and unleashed an earth shaking roar that was more beast than man before he held his hands out in front of his head and created a sphere of energy. The ball continued to grown before reaching critical mass and exploding in a beam of energy that carved a trench in the earth before somehow dispersing around the village to wash over the surrounding landscape. Trees grew in the aftermath of the beam, and anybody caught in it was immediately frozen in a layer of crystal before disintegrating into a sparkling dust that scattered on the rushing winds.

The threat dealt with, the chakra surrounding Naruto dissiapated and he floated down to the middle of the village on a small pillar of swirling wind. Summoning Corona and sheathing Eclipse as it reformed in his hand, Naruto sagged against his staff while the disks surrounding him flew back inside his robes. Tayuya and Guren were the first to reach him, and held on to his arms as he hobbled back towards the building the where the Shogun was holed up.

"Holy _shit!_ " Tayuya exclaimed. "That was intense!"

Naruto chuckled tiredly even as he gradually regained his composure. "Thanks, I still haven't even gotten close to mastering it yet, but it felt good to show off a little bit. I do feel kind of bad for taking out the retreating forces, but I couldn't risk word of what I can do getting out just yet."

"You did what you had to, Naruto," Iruka said, patting him on the shoulder. "Thanks to you, we took on two forces much larger than our own and won without almost no casualties."

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei," Naruto replied. He then turned his attention to the Shogun, who was still scowling from behind his thick beard, though Naruto could see some of the distrust had faded from his eyes. "So, do you believe we're on your side now?"

"I believe you aren't on Kumo or Iwa's side," the man replied.

Naruto shrugged. "That's fair."

"My name is Oikawa, Shogun of the Land of Waterfalls. I will escort you to meet with the Daimiyo and discuss whatever it is you need to with us both."

"Before that, will you allow the samurai of the Coalition to enter the Land of Waterfalls and provide whatever aid they can to you and your people?" Naruto implored, his face serious.

Oikawa nodded reluctantly and glared at the gathering of shinobi. "I will, but they are to listen to my commanders at all times."

"I'm afraid that doesn't work," Naruto replied. "I will not have men and women who trust me with their lives entrust those lives to commanders they do not know. My commanders will work alongside your own, and provide support and aide wherever they are told to, but their chain of command remains firmly within their own ranks."

Oikawa scowled at Naruto's articulate counter offer. Both of them stared each other down in a battle of wills before Oikawa snarled and spun in spot. "Fine."

Naruto smilled and bowed his head respectfully, creating a clone and dispelling it to notify the one he had stationed with the samurai that they had permission to procede into the Land of Waterfalls. He watched Oikawa carefully as he exited the building and marched past them.

"Come on, we leave now and we should make it to the capital by nightfall."

Naruto nodded and ordered his shinobi to move out. They kept pace with Oikawa, allowing him to lead as they returned from their little detour while clouds gathered over the setting sun. It was nearing midnight and the rain had been falling in sheets for the last hour or so when they finally stopped.

Having had enough of Kanagi's whining (whom Naruto ordered near him at the back of the group so as to keep Oikawa from hearing him), Naruto looked around his group and found them all to be varying levels of tired after a day of running full tilt with only a pause to fight a quick battle against two separate enemies, and called for a halt. Oikawa took a few seconds to realise no one was following him and turned back around. He landed on the ground in front of Naruto while the others were preparing to make camp in a nearby cave, and his shouting could easily be heard over the deluge falling through the trees.

"What do you think you're doing? We need to get to the capital!"

"And we will," Naruto replied. "But my shinobi are tired and in need of rest."

"I don't care what you or your men want!" Oikawa shouted. "You wanted a meeting with me and the Daimiyo, so you're going to follow my orders. Now tell your men to get off their asses and get running!"

Naruto frowned and held up a hand to pre-emptively silence Tayuya who had taken a step forward to give Oikawa a piece of her mind. "These shinobi are my responsibility," Naruto said firmly. "If I decide they need to rest, then they will stop and rest. They don't listen to you, and neither do I. We are here as a courtesy to you, and to offer our help in a situation today proved you are not equipped to handle. I don't care how you normally run things, but we don't answer to you, and if you have a problem with that, I can take myself, my shinobi, _and_ my samurai right out of the Land of Waterfalls and let Iwa and Kumo tear you to pieces. Who knows, maybe their respective countries will join in the fun too? In which case, I wish you the best of luck fighting off two of the Five Great Nations as well as their Hidden Villages while they simply consider you and your country as nothing more than another battlefield."

He and Oikawa glared at each other fiercely, and once again, Oikawa was the one to concede.

"We leave at dawn," he muttered, stomping petulantly into the cave.

Naruto decided to take what he could get and grew some dry wood out of the cave floor before lighting it with a flick of his wrist. Another quick motion cleared them all of the water that had them soaked to the bone, earning him several affectionate licks from Hana's triplets, even while she only murmured a quick thanks before unsealing some jerky and curling up in a corner.

Naruto reclined against the wall of the cave, smiling as Tayuya and Guren once again joined him while Kankuro took the first watch.

"So, Naruto," Iruka said as he took a seat across from them. "Were you ever planning on sharing that you could actually speak this whole time?"

"Sorry Iruka-sensei," Naruto replied sheepishly. "It's actually a more recent development than you'd think."

"Is that so?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, when I first became a genin I could barely form complete sentences and it hurt like hell. If it weren't for Mom, I'd probably still be mute and only using my signs. Speaking of recent developments, by the way, were you and Ayame-neechan ever planning on telling me you were dating, or was I just supposed to wait until the marriage invitations came out?"

Iruka blushed and scratched the back of his head with a sheepish chuckle. "I guess if anybody could've seen that coming it would be you."

"Well, duh," Naruto deadpanned. "I'm the Ichirakus' number one customer, and anybody with eyes would notice how you and Ayame-neechan couldn't keep your eyes off each other for longer than five minutes whenever you decided to treat me to some ramen."

Iruka laughed and shifted slightly to get more comfortable against the wall of the cavern. "Well, now that Anko-san has convinced Teuchi to sell dango as well as ramen at his stand, she might start giving you an equal for the position of their number one customer."

"Anko-chan does love her dango," Guren noted sleepily.

"I know," Tayuya murmured, "did you see that crappy hand-painted sign she keeps sticking up on top of their stand?"

Naruto and Iruka chuckled as Naruto stroked his hands up and down both girls' backs. He channeled the smallest amount of fire chakra possible through his palms and allowed the points of contact to bridge all of their chakra networks. To Tayuya and Guren, it felt like Naruto's chakra was infusing them with his comforting presence and connecting them to each other while wrapping around their spirits.

"My clone did see it when he went to go greet Hebi-hana and Tenshi-chan," Naruto said quietly as Tayuya and Guren's breathing evened out. He felt several eyes watching him from nearby and smiled as he extended his chakra out to cover Hana, the triplets, Taisa, Ino, Sakura, Tenten, Lee, and Iruka.

"Is this what those two are feeling?" Iruka asked with a yawn as Naruto's presence eased the tension in his muscles.

"Not quite," Naruto murmured. "What they're feeling is a little more intimate. What I'm extending to all of you is me flexing my chakra in the same vein as when you unleash killing intent, but I'm fueling it with more positive feelings instead."

Sakura curled up next to Taisa, who had already fallen asleep, and yawned as well. "So, what we're feeling is like you projecting what you're feeling right now?"

"A little bit of it, yeah. I don't really do it too much with people unless I know them pretty well, but we don't have many hours to sleep and you all need as much rest as you can get."

"That's very…" Iruka yawned once more, his eyelids sliding closed as slumped more against the wall. "…Considerate of you, Naruto…"

Within minutes, the cave was filled with the sound of soft breathing, and Naruto smiled as he looked around before pulling Tayuya and Guren a bit closer and settling down to sleep himself.

*(OoO)*

They all awoke about a half an hour before dawn, and packed up their camp before following Oikawa once more towards the capital of the Land of Water. They arrived a few hours after noon, and were glad to be quickly admitted within the walls of the small city. The capital of the Land of Waterfalls was not terribly impressive relative to the bustling metropolis that had been the Land of Fire's, or the opulent tourist destination of the Land of Hot Water's. The entire city consisted almost entirely of the Daimiyo's castle to form a sort of citadel that rose high into the air. Its thick walls and tall spires making for an imposing fortress where the upper echelons of the nation's government gathered.

Of course, considering the relatively miniscule size of the Land of Waterfalls, Naruto thought there to be several inconsistencies that came with the extremely militarized capital. Sure, those sort of things made sense in the larger nations, and particularly with their Hidden Villages, but the Land of Waterfalls was famous explicitly for having a Hidden Village that had never once been invaded. That, combined with the lack of martial prowess Naruto had seen from the samurai set him on edge as Oikawa led them towards the massive front gates of the building.

"Servants will lead you to rooms where you are staying," Oikawa grunted. "The Daimiyo and I will meet with you tomorrow morning." Without another word, he marched off down one of the halls, and a servant seemingly appeared out of nowhere to lead Naruto and his group to their rooms, which all connected by a central lounge on the eastern side of the castle.

"I don't like this," Naruto muttered as the servant closed the door behind him. Thinking fast, he created a handful of clones who made short work of setting up privacy and security seals all over the rooms while he sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes in thought. Once they were done with the other rooms and most of the lounge, one of the clones disappeared in a puff of smoke near the door to the rest of the castle while another took its place to lay the last of the security seals around that part of the room.

"Donchya think you're being a little paranoid?" Hana asked, munching on a piece of jerky as she dropped herself on one of the couches while the triplets curled up around her feet.

"Yeah, what are you expecting, the Nine-Tails to attack the castle?" Kanagi added, bolstered by Hana's open defiance.

"Nah, Dad's resting peacefully back in Uzu," Naruto replied cheerfully, incensing Kanagi with his lack of reaction while many of the others, the Sand Trio in particular, gaped at the casual and familial way Naruto referenced the Nine-Tails. "Hana, can I talk to you to in private for a moment?"

Hana rolled her eyes, but followed Naruto into one of the rooms regardless. The moment she closed the door behind her, Naruto activated a security seal to mask anything they said and hide any chakra signatures within the room before calmly taking a seat on the bed and facing her.

"What is it you want, Naruto?" Hana asked, scowl on her face.

"I don't know what I did to make you hate me so much, Hana," Naruto began, maintaining his calm façade as he fought down his Inner Dragon's anger. "Maybe your just like the other villagers and hate me because I carried the Nine-Tailed Fox within me, in which case I don't give a damn, or maybe I did do something to unintentionally hurt you either physically or emotionally, in which case I'm probably sorry. Either way, you're a shinobi of Uzu, and a jonin on top of that. Not only is your insubordinate behaviour affecting and provoking the others, but you're supposed to be supervising Iruka-sensei as he learns how to be a jonin sensei himself. So, while you are free to despise me as much as you want back in Uzu, when you are out on a mission as a member of _my_ Coalition, and placed under _my_ direct command by order of _your_ Hokage, you will put your feelings aside, and do your best not to undermine me in front of others. Are we clear?"

"No, we aren't," Hana spat, her puils narrowing as her fangs and nails lengthened. "You're just a pup playing at being an Alpha. Why should I follow someone like you? I've worked hard to get where I am, and then you just show up and suddenly I'm expected to follow your every command? What have you done to earn your place as a leader? You may have beaten me and Mom once, but what experience does that give you in leading a pack? What have you suffered through to prove your strength as an Alpha?" Rearing back, she slashed her clawed hand through the air at his face as anger clouded her judgement. "You're nothing more than an idealistic little boy who has a bunch of really strong friends willing to throw their lives away in the name of your useless dreams!"

Quick as lightning, Hana's hand was caught in the crushing grip of Naruto's own right hand as he shot to his feet. They both stood there, Hana's rage growing as she failed to pull her hand free growling as she found herself suddenly unable to pull off any of her jutsu, while Naruto fought desperately to shove his down long enough to get to the heart of the matter.

"Whether you think I've earned my position or not is irrelevant," Naruto muttered through gritted teeth. "What matters is that you get your act together and start acting like a jonin of Uzu and a warrior of the Elemental Coalition of Nations, or I'll take us back to Uzu now where you can explain these grievances to the Hokage, your clan head, the Shogun, and the princess of the Land of Fire." This time it was Naruto's feature that were becoming more feral as he leaned his face in closer to Hana. "Do I make myself clear?"

Hana could do nothing but stare fearfully into Naruto's slitted eyes. His chakra radiated from his body like a raging storm and the primal strength in his vision made her own more feral side quake submissively, while another part of her flooded with heat as the urge to expose her neck rose up against her will. Fighting down her animal instincts for the first time in a long while filled Hana with an existential pain, but she toughed through it in order to maintain her defiant countenance even as she nodded concedingly.

Naruto sighed and opened the door, returning to the lounge area before notifying the others that he was going to take a look around and do some training. He vanished instantly, and a deafening silence fell over them all as Hana and the triplets made their way to another of the rooms and went to bed.

Tayuya and Guren exchanged worried looks while Iruka seemed concerned and confused.

"What do you think happened in there?"

"We know exactly what happened in there," Guren replied somberly.

"How?" Ino asked.

"When Naruto-kun has a hard time controlling his emotions, sometimes his chakra will flare uncontrollably," Tayuya explained. "That usually leads to him accidentally activating the voice seal on his throat. We heard the entire argument."

"More importantly," Guren added. "Odds are almost everyone with a voice seal heard it too."

*(OoO)*

Kiba, Hinata, Shino, and Kurenai were training together when their voice seals activated and they ended up overhearing Naruto's argument with Hana. Hinata and Kurenai both were a mixture of concerned and angry at the baseless accusations Hana had thrown. Both of them had been trained in the art of reading people, and something about the tension in her voice pricked at the back of their minds, but without having been there to see it, they couldn't tell what it was exactly. Shino was intrigued, and while he was aware that there was more to that argument than there seemed, for he had always known Hana Inuzuka to be fiercely loyal to her mission and her village, he also knew that he did not possess the social grace to understand the deeper meaning behind her words. Meanwhile Kiba was simply confused. Naruto had easily proved himself to the Inuzuka Clan when he and Ryuda had beaten both his sister and his mother along with their partners. He had even overheard some of the female members whispering about wanting Naruto to be the Alpha of their household, which Kiba knew to be the equivalent of considering taking Naruto as a husband. So, if Naruto had established his strength among their pack and earned their loyalty, why was Hana, the person most in tune with her animal instincts, fighting him so much?

He was still contemplating this when he returned home. Seeing his mother reclining on the sofa, on hand holding up a book while the other reached down to lazily scratch Kuromaru's ears, Kiba decided to ask her.

"Hey, Mom," he said as he approached the couch. Tsume instinctively moved her legs to make room for him while Akamaru trotted over to lay down next to Kuromaru. Once he was seated, Tsume threw her legs back over her lap while now alternating between petting both dogs. "I had a question about dog behaviour."

"Shoot," Tsume replied, eyes not leaving the pages of her book, though Kiba could tell she was listening.

"What does it mean when a female refuses to accept an Alpha, even if he's already proved himself?"

Tsume sighed and lowered her book to look him in the eye. "You're referring the the argument Hana had with Naruto earlier this evening aren't you?"

Kiba's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Hokage-sama told me after the council meeting today. Apparently, Hana made Naruto angry enough to accidentally activate some seal or something and it projected their argument to everyone who has one of them. Luckily, only people Naruto trusts implicitly have one and Tsunade-sama was quick to send out a gag order. Jiraiya-sama is going to try to develop a counter measure to things like this happening, but they aren't too concerned about it, considering how open Naruto generally is. In fact, from what I was told, despite Hana having said some incredibly offensive and uncalled for things, those who had overheard the argument were all quite proud for Naruto maintaining his composure."

"Yeah," Kiba agreed. "Naruto can have a temper sometimes, but I think he's learned that he can't let his emotions get the better of him if he wants this whole Coalition thing to work out. In fact, it's usually only when someone threatens his precious people that he loses his cool nowadays. Then again, he also usually has seven girlfriends and a Hokage who can all get angry for him. I wouldn't actually be all that surprised if Tayuya and Guren get a headstart on their revenge while they're on their mission. In fact, after hearing it, I kinda want a piece of the action too."

"And why is that?" Tsume asked.

"You shoulda heard the way she spoke to him, Mom!" Kiba exclaimed. "I've never been so angry! Naruto has proved that he is more worthy to lead us than anyone else who has ever challenged you, and he didn't even need to fight you at first to do it! On top of that, he did fight you, and he won! You're one of the toughest jonin around, and he and Ryuda managed to beat you and Hana at the same time! What's wrong with her?"

Tsume sighed and sat up slightly as she looked Kiba in the eye. "Listen, Pup, do you really wanna know what I think is going on? Because there's a pretty good chance you're not gonna like it."

"I don't care," Kiba said resolutely. "I need to know."

"Alright, well, the short answer is, Hana's considering Naruto as a mate."

"What? That doesn't make any sense she's been nothing but a jerk to him!"

"That's because it's her instincts that are considering him, and while Naruto has proven himself to be a suitable Alpha for the clan to follow he hasn't proved himself to her personally," Tsume explained. "From what I understand, Naruto has a primal side, much like an Inuzuka, only his is way more powerful. Odds are, Hana's instincts are telling her to submit, but she doesn't understand that's what she's feeling, so she's redirecting all the strange things Naruto's making her feel into anger."

"Why would she not know?" Kiba asked. "Hana's had boyfriends before."

"But none of them were Alpha material," Tsume replied. "I can tell just by looking at him that Naruto is far more in tune with his primal half than any Inuzuka could be without turning feral. He also has much better control over it than we do. Granted, I haven't seen him since he got back from his training trip, but the odds are that he's even closer with his animal instincts than he was before. Inuzuka women can have boyfriends, but eventually we'll meet a male who resonates with our instincts, and unlike those boyfriends who only pleased our human natures, these Alphas are the one's most Inuzuka females hope to one day start a family with. Your father was one himself, and I don't doubt that you'll someday be one too."

Kiba considered what he had been told. Part of him wanted to retch at the thought of his sister wanting to take his one of his best friends as his mate, and another part was also worried about the fact that Naruto already had seven girlfriends. What if Hana wound up being nothing more than a notch in his headboard? But then he remembered how happy Hinata was whenever she was around Naruto, and how content she seemed just to be held in his arms when he came to greet them. If all of his girlfriends were as happy with him as Hinata, then clearly Naruto knew how to treat a lady, and if there was anybody he knew he could trust with taking care of his sister, it would be the most reliable man he had ever met. Slowly Kiba became okay with the idea, and as he thanked his mother and took Akamaru outside for a walk he found himself hoping that Hana survived Tayuya and Guren to make it back, so he could give her a swift kick in the ass to get herself together, and then a second for talking to his friend that way.

*(OoO)*

Naruto's clones monitored the castle as he stood in one of the training grounds. A legion of them were disguised in every corner of every room of the castle, that way if anything happened he would know right away. Meanwhile, he meditated beneath the trees, focusing on acknowledging his Inner Dragon before quelling its anger. He had quickly learned during his training that the Inner Dragon wasn't just something to be controlled. He couldn't squash it down and ignore it until it was needed. It was a living embodiment of himself, and therefore had to be accepted if he ever had any hope of growing stronger. That being said, it couldn't be allowed to run wild, especially considering it represented all of his more passionate feelings. Finding the balance between beast and man was difficult, but he found it was easier if he meditated over past events and acknowledged to himself exactly what he was feeling in that moment. That way, he would have better control over those emotions and would be able to find out how to let them go.

Which was why he was surprised to find that, beneath the indignant rage he had been feeling throughout the entirety of Hana's tirade, there was a spark of lust. His Inner Dragon had been roaring at him to slam Hana against the wall, or the bed, or the floor, and firmly re-establish his place over her as her Alpha. Of course, he had dismissed those desires almost immediately. He already had seven girlfriends, and he doubted they would be happy about him finding an eighth.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Naruto smelled the familiar spicy aroma of Tayuya accompanied by Guren's sweet presence. Opening his eyes, he smiled as they both approached him, and could feel his Inner Dragin rumble contentedly as two of his mates curled up on either side of him, silently offering their comfort as the three of them spent the night beneath the stars.

 **A/N: So there you have it. Was kinda hard to get this one done as my time has been sucked up putting new floors down in my parents' house, but now that that's finished, it's back to writing. We got a slice of the power Naruto has access to, though he still hasn't fully mastered it, and an introduction to the latest Shogun as he and Naruto butt heads. Finally, there is evidence that another girl will be added to the harem, so that should be fun. I'm thinking of either having him end with nine girls, or some other multiple of three, given that he got into this situation because he has three clans to help repopulate. If anyone has suggestions as to who you'd like to see, I'm open to hearing them and taking a look at the girls for myself to see if I can work them into the story or not. Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing and I'll see you all next time!**


	39. Chapter 39

Naruto snapped awake as his mind was filled with a rush of memories from one of his clones as it was destroyed. Within moments he had shot to his feet, grabbed Tayuya and Guren, warped back to their room where he created several clones who all burst into the other rooms and grabbed the rest of his team before using the Hiraishin to warp them all to a section of forest near where most maps thought Taki was located.

"What the hell, Uzumaki?" Kanagi grumbled while the others all tried to regain their balance.

"Something came up, we're finding Taki on our own now," Naruto said firmly. "Iruka, Hana, Tayuya, and Guren with me, I need to report to the Hokage and I want you all there as well. In the meantime, Shikamaru and Ino are in charge. I have clones setting up some security but I expect you to take care of the rest by the time we get back."

Without another word, Naruto and the others took off until they were just out of earshot in a small cave behind a nearby waterfall. Naruto set up privacy measures at the mouth of the cave before turning to the others and activating his voice seals.

"Mom, there's been a development."

 _"Whatever it is, can't it wait until morning, Naru-kun?"_ Tsunade's voice groaned over the connection.

"Orochimaru was in the capital of the Land of Waterfalls."

 _"What?!"_

"He was meeting with the Shogun, but Orochimaru destroyed my clone before it could get any relevant information."

 _"Were you able to learn anything else while you were there?"_ Yazawa asked.

"Yeah, there's no Daimiyo in the Land of Waterfalls. The Shogunate performed a coup at some point and took over the country. I also saw something pretty weird going on before Orochimaru showed up. Beneath the castle is some sort of machine, I don't know how it works, but my clone saw Oikawa step inside it on one end while the samurai threw a prisoner in the other. There was a bunch of lights and noise, and when the machine opened up, Oikawa looked like he was twenty years younger, and I could tell that his chakra was far stronger."

 _"Does Orochimaru know that you were spying on him?"_ Danzo asked, his gravelly voice sharp at the mention of Konoha's second most notorious traitor.

"I don't know," Naruto replied. "He sent out a pulse of chakra as a precaution before speaking and destroyed my clone with it. As soon as I got the memories back from the clone I evacuated my team to a prior location with the Hiraishin. Depending on whether or not he was aware of the clone being destroyed, it won't take him long to piece together who was watching him."

 _"Orochimaru is too big a threat to be ignored,_ " Tsunade said. _"It might be wise to call off the mission."_

"No, I'm not abandoning Yugito and if we leave here then Kumo and Iwa will rip the country apart in their efforts to find Taki. That being said, Yazawa-jiji, your samurai are the ones defending the people of this country alongside potentially hostile forces. Do you want them to pull out?"

Yazawa was silent as he considered the options for a moment. _"Those men and women understand what they signed up for. Besides, they are performing Coalition business, which puts them under your command, not mine. The choice is up to you."_

"In that case, I'll send clones to notify the commanding officers to be on the lookout for a possible doublecross and prepare to withdraw at a moments notice. I'm not getting involved in a war," Naruto concluded.

 _"Alright, Naru-kun, your mission stands. You are to infiltrate Takigakure and rescue Yugito Nii. Avoid contact with Orochimaru at all costs and when you return here we can discuss our next move."_

"Understood." Naruto cut off the connection and dispelled the security measures as he sent several clones to notify his samurai of the recent developments.

"So, that snake is working with the Shogun," Tayuya concluded angrily.

"We don't know what he's doing," Guren replied. "But either way, it was a good thing you got us out of there when you did, Naruto-kun."

"Why?" Hana asked. "We just watched you decimate an army on your own in minutes, why bother running? You should have stayed and attempted to capture him."

"What took me minutes would have only taken Orochimaru seconds, Hana," Naruto countered. "On top of that, if we were trying to capture him, I wouldn't be able to go all out, especially not when I have to worry about you and everyone else getting caught in the crossfire. He's one of the smartest people to ever come out of Konoha and he has decades of experience over me. The only people in Uzu who have beaten him is Itachi-sensei and Hiruzen-jiji."

"It doesn't matter now anyway," Iruka cut in. "What's done is done. Naruto made his choice and stands by it. Now we should return to camp and figure out how we're going to locate Taki."

Without another word they all sprinted back to camp just in time to see the others escalate from loud arguing to trading blows. With a growl, Naruto encased them all in crystal and lifted them into the air, their heads the only things not imprisoned.

" _That is enough!"_ He roared. "I don't care what you were fighting about, it ends now. We are on a mission and I will not have your inability to act accordingly put any of our lives in jepeordy!" Tayuya and Guren watched as he held the crystal prisons in the air and noticed the way Naruto's features seemed to change to closely resemble how he would look when he used Kurama's chakra. His pupils had narrowed into slits and his teeth and nails had grown sharper. There was a monumental presence pushing down on them all, and Iruka and Hana were forced to their knees by the sheer weight of it. Once he was certain he had gotten his point across, he lowered them all to the ground and dissolved the crystal, taking a deep breath as his features returned to normal.

"Neji, you're on first watch. The rest of you get some sleep, tomorrow we start searching for the entrance to Taki."

*(OoO)*

It took two weeks of fruitless searching before they stumbled upon anything useful. Naruto happened to be meditating while the others made camp and was practicing with natural energy when he sensed a battle going on about ten kilometers away. Snapping to his feet, he ordered they all hide while Neji, Hana, and Tayuya followed him. They made their way to the scene of the battle where Neji used his Byakugan to survey who was fighting who.

"The majority of the fighting is between squadrons from Iwa and Kumo," Neji reported. "But there are shinobi hiding around the fringes of the battle, taking down any stragglers who happen to break off from the main conflict."

"Excellent," Naruto whispered. "Where is the nearest one?"

"About three hundred meters west of our location."

"Alright, Neji and Tayuya, you two incapacitate him and bring him back to camp. Hana, you and I will head back ahead of time and clear the way for them."

They all nodded and split up. Neji and Tayuya snuck through the underbrush until they were crouched down underneath the tree within which the shinobi was hiding. Bringing her flute to her lips, Tayuya played a quick genjutsu that hid their presences and created an illusion of the man's dead body laying by the roots of the tree, impaled with several kunai. Meanwhile, Neji snuck up on the man and closed his chakra pathways with a few quick hits before knocking him out with one final blow to the back of the neck. Their job done, Neji hefted the man over his shoulders and they began sprinting back to their camp, encountering no resistance except for a half dead Kumo shinobi covered in claw marks. They returned within minutes, and Naruto immediately took the man from Neji, laying him out on the ground.

"This man is from Taki," Naruto explained, shifting the hood wrapped around the man's face just enough to reveal the forehead protector beneath. "Ino, I need you to read his mind and see if you can find any information on the whereabouts of the village as well as their defences and such."

Ino nodded and formed the necessary hand seals before pressing her fingers to the man's temples. They all waited as she rooted through the shinobi's mind, and Naruto caught her as she toppled in exhaustion once she was finished.

"It moves," she murmured. "The entrance moves if anyone without a registered chakra signature comes close."

"Well that's just great, what are we supposed to do now?" Temari asked bitterly.

"Ongaku-chan, Kessho-hime, can I see your voice seals for a second?" Naruto asked after he had gently carried Ino over to her bed roll.

Tayuya and Guren nodded and shifted both shifted their hair out of the way as they turned their backs to Naruto and the others and channeled a minute amount of chakra into the seals. Naruto unsealed a bottle of ink and a brush and went to work modifying their seals. When he was finished, he made the necessary hand seals and both of their seals vanished once more.

 _I added a Hiraishin component to both of your voice seals,_ he signed once they turned around. _That way if you're ever in trouble, I can be with you in an instant._

Tayuya and Guren smiled and thanked him with a kiss on the cheek before he turned back to address the others. "Ino, I need you to mark where the current entrance to Taki is. I'm going to infiltrate the village myself."

"How do you plan on doing that when the entrance just keeps moving?" Kanagi snarked. "You won't get within ten miles before they find out who you are and the whole mission is blown."

Naruto ignored him and unsealed Corona, nodding to Tayuya and Guren. "Once inside, I'll warp back to you all and bring you to me. While I'm gone, Iruka, Hana, and Guren are in charge. Gaara, you're to maintain your practice in defensive maneuvers, use your siblings for help. Make sure you keep moving and avoid direct conflict as much as possible. You're in the middle of hostile territory and there are three enemy forces that would like to see you dead. Don't let them see you in the first place."

"Are you sure about this, Naruto?" Iruka asked. "It seems awfully risky. Taki is known for frequently producing powerful jonin."

"Don't worry, Iruka-sensei, Corona here hides my chakra signature completely. I just need to sneak in, then I can bring the rest of you. Also, while I'm gone," Naruto trailed off slightly as he watched Tayuya and Guren sit down to begin discussing where to go next while they waited for him to return. "I know they're two of the strongest kunoichi around, but if you could, you know…"

"Don't worry, Naruto," Iruka said. He smiled and placed a hand on his old student's shoulder, noting that Naruto was now taller than him. "I'll keep an eye on them."

Naruto grinned. "Thanks, Iruka-sensei." He embraced his former teacher one last time and planted a firm kiss on both of his girlfriends' lips before grabbing the map Ino had marked and vanishing into thin air.

Reappearing at the sight of the battle from earlier, Naruto noticed that there were no survivors.

 _They must have been getting close,_ he thought as he looked out on the battlefield, noting the many bodies laying face down in the mud with kunai sticking out of their backs. He sighed and looked down at the map in his hands. According to Ino, the entrance was currently behind a large waterfall about five kilometers north of his current position. With Corona in hand, Naruto leapt up into the trees and circumvented the muddy plain before sprinting towards his destination.

Within a matter of minutes, he came upon a massive waterfall that stretched a good seven hundred meters above him. He hid in the trees and watched as a number of shinobi appeared at the shore and ran over the water towards the water fall. He watched and steadied his breathing as he began channeling nature energy. By the time the last of the shinobi was preparing to run across the water, he had properly entered Sage Mode, the black pigmentation around his eyes fully taking shape into an intricate design that extended back to his ears. There was a swirl on his forehead with two thick lines curving down over his eyebrows and cheeks, tapering off into a curved point about halfway down the length of his nose. Just as the man was entered passed through the waterfall, Naruto shot out of the trees, taking a deep breath and diving silently through the water. There he found the opening to a set of underwater tunnels and used his water manipulation to zip beneath the shinobi he had followed as the man turned around and activated a jutsu causing the mouth of the cave to be sealed with rock, plunging the tunnels into complete darkness.

Closing his eyes, Naruto followed the shinobi by feeling their chakra and the disturbances in the water. He followed their path exactly so as to avoid several traps along the way, and waited while they swam up to the surface in order to replenish their oxygen, taking the opportunity to do so himself using his wind and water manipulation to siphon several bubbles of air down to him. His lungs refilled, he followed the shinobi from a distance as they swam through several more tunnels, noting along the way several other paths branching off from the ones they took that were probably used to trap intruders and stall them into drowning before ever getting close to the village.

It took another twenty minutes for them to finally leave the system of caves, with only two more stops for air, and Naruto's lungs felt like they were on fire as he waited for the Taki shinobi to surface and leave. Once the last one had reached the shore, Naruto made the surface as well, only to dive back down after a quick breath when he realised that he was in the center of a massive lake in the middle of the village.

Looking up through the water, he tried to find someway out without being detected, cheering internally when he spied a massive tree nearby. With a quick application of his swift release, Naruto warped into the sprawling branches, breathing deeply as he surveyed the village below. He reached out with his senses, trying to feel Yugito's presence when he felt another Jinchuriki directly above him. Acting on instinct, he threw himself out of the way as a small foot dropped down right where his had been less than a second before. Thinking fast, Naruto took out a slip of paper with a pre-drawn Hiraishin seal on it and transferred the seal to the branch beneath him. The paper disintegrated, leaving no trace of it, and he quickly reached up, grabbing his attacker's foot as it flew towards his face once more. The instant they made contact, he warped them back to Uzu where he could fight without worry. They landed atop the Hokage Tower and Naruto used the conserved momentum to spin and launch his opponent, whom he now saw was a small girl around his age with dark skin and bright green hair. The girl rocketed towards the training ground behind the tower and Naruto took advantage of her moment of desperation to create several binding tendrils of wood that wrapped around her tightly, restraining her movement.

"Get back!" He shouted as Itachi, Kisame, Tsunade, and Jiraiya all appeared behind him. "This is the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki."

Kurama, Isobu, and Shukaku joined the other spectators as the girl struggled and snarled against her bonds. Naruto felt her start channeling her tenant's chakra, noting the red chakra cloak quickly taking form around her, and slammed Corona into the ground, connecting it and his chakra to the wood restraining her. More and more trees burst from the ground as the girl roared and attempted clawed through her bonds. Naruto grunted as he pumped sage chakra into the growing flora. The trees bent down around he the girl and thin branches wrapped around each of her limbs, pinning her legs together and her arms to her side while more and more branches then wrapped around her body before sealing her within a wooden sarcophagus that had burst out of the ground, leaving only her head visible.

"Wh-What did you do to me?" The girl demanded. "Why can't I use the Seven-Tails chakra? Who are you? Where are we?"

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto replied. "I was the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, Three-Tails, and One-Tail before releasing them. Right now I'm supressing the Seven-Tails' chakra, and we are currently in Uzu. What's your name?"

"That's impossible," the girl scoffed. "No one is capable of holding three Tailed-Beasts within them, and if they were they sure as hell wouldn't be stupid enough to free them."

"Believe it, human," Kurama growled, flexing his still not inconsiderable chakra along with Isobu and Shukaku. "My Kit is a better person than most of your tiresome species, so you would do well to show him the respect he deserves."

The girl stared in shock at Kurama and the other miniature Tailed-Beasts, before whipping her head between them and Naruto extremely quickly, back and forth. "So, you're telling me, that you _used_ to be a Jinchuriki?"

"That's right," Naruto replied.

"Is that why those people behind you aren't looking at you _that_ way?"

"No, these people respected me even when I was still a Jinchuriki."

"You're lying!" The girl screeched. "This is all some sort of trick! No one respects Jinchuriki and you're all just trying to make me your weapon instead of theirs!"

Naruto shook his head and frowned. He knew what she was going through and was determined to prove that he wanted to help her. Stepping forward, he left Corona in the ground, attached to the trees and absorbing the Seven-Tails' chakra as it tried to spring forth from the girls rage. Reaching up, he laid his right hand on the girl's cheek and channeled his chakra through it, connecting their respective chakra networks. Thoughts, memories, and emotions beyond articulation flowed between the two in the span of seconds as the wood binding the girl slowly receded and lowered her to the ground. The moment her feet hit the ground, she burst into tears and nearly collapsed were it not for Naruto pulling her close and holding her.

They had both experienced each other's lives and truly understood what the other went through in a way no other could. Even the beast sealed within the girl was effected by the outpouring of emotion and information. Naruto held her for several minutes in silence before whispering to her and passing her off to Tsunade. Tsunade accepted the quivering girl into her arms, dismissing everyone else with a simple look while Naruto created a handful of clones who all flickered in place as they retrieved the rest of his team and warped back to Uzu instantaneously. As soon as he had returned, the girl immediately left Tsunade's arms for the safety of his embrace once more, allowing herself to be carried off to Naruto's room by a clone as he, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Iruka, Hana, Tayuya, Guren, and the Sand Siblings adjourned to a meeting room, the rest of their group being dismissed.

"You mind telling us just what the hell you've gotten yourself into in the last handful of hours since you left?" Tayuya asked.

"Maybe starting with the identity of the girl who is currently napping in your room," Guren added, a hint of jealousy colouring her tone.

"Her name is Fu," Naruto replied. "She's the Jinchuriki of the Seven-Tails."

"And what was it you did back there to make her suddenly break down like that?" Jiraiya questioned.

"I needed to prove to her that I knew what she had been through, and show that I could be trusted," Naruto explained. "So I connected our chakra networks. It allowed us to share each other's thoughts, memories, and emotions. She saw my life, just like I saw hers."

"Is that why she was suddenly so attached to you?" Tsunade presumed.

Naruto nodded. "She saw that I had suffered a life similar to most Jinchuriki, and I think she now sees me as a sort of older brother figure." He watched out of the corner of his eye as the tension left both Tayuya and Guren's shoulders, and made a note to talk to them and the other girls as soon as this was over.

"So, what does this have to do with you recalling us all?" Iruka asked.

"The mission parameters have changed," Naruto replied. "I only need a small team for the infiltration, and I want both Gaara and Fu on it."

"How have they changed?" Hana asked. "Because you managed to steal another Jinchuriki? One who we don't even know will be willing to help us or not?"

There was a loud bang and they all turned to see Tsunade resting her cheek in the palm of her hand while the other lay casually across the table. She raised the index finger of her free hand and tapped it on the table creating a second loud bang as a long narrow fissure split down the middle of the table.

"You'll do well to remember that you are speaking to your superior officer, Jonin Inuzuka, in front of your Hokage no less. I expect you to show the proper decorum towards the man who not only single-handedly saved your life along with thousands of others during the attack on Konoha, but is also the one who founded the Coalition of which we are a part." Having dealt with her, Tsunade lazily turned her attention to her son, who sat up straight the moment they locked eyes. "That is a point of concern, though. How can you be sure Fu will be so willing to go against her own village?"

"Because, she was treated almost as badly as I was," Naruto replied. "But unlike me, she doesn't have anybody at all. The closest she has to a precious person is the village leader, who is the only one that can tolerate her presence, but he's a coward who easily folds to the will of his subordinates. Fu saw my memories, she knows that I can provide her with a safe place, and people who won't judge her because of what she carries within her."

"Alright, I'll trust you on this one, Naruto. Now who else did you want on your infiltration team?"

"Just before warping away, I saw an individual wearing an Akatsuki cloak walking around. With Orochimaru on the prowl within the Land of Waterfalls as well, I need two high-ranking shinobi, skilled in both combat, and espionage."

"I'll go," Jiraiya said. "If Orochi-teme shows up, we need someone who can go toe to toe with him and Itachi is currently out on another mission."

"Then we'll send Konan as well," Tsunade concluded. "Hana, Iruka, I expect your reports in the morning. Naruto, you're to get some rest and leave with the others then as well."

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

*(OoO)*

The next morning Naruto gathered with Jiraiya, Fu, Gaara, and Konan in Tsunade's office before warping back to the branch of the massive tree in the center of Taki. They arrived and immediately leapt up to the higher branches where they could speak in peace.

"Our first move is to head to the temple within the village," Naruto said. "I can pose as a monk on my pilgrimedge with you three as my traveling companions, and the priests there will offer us a place to stay. Ero-Sennin, you should meet with any contacts you have in the area, take Hasa-chan with you, and if you run into the Akatsuki member here, do not engage until we've established who he is and what his capabilities are. Gaara and Fu, you're going to be with me while I send some other clones to investigate around the village."

They all nodded and waited until the coast was clear to drop down to the street. Once firmly on the ground, Naruto unsealed Corona, and leaned on it, his robes hiding his form as the five of them casually made their way to the temple. Fu led the way and Jiraiya and Konan couldn't help but notice the disdain with which the people of Taki looked at her. She, Naruto, and Gaara all seemed unconcerned with the open hatred being directed their way, but Konan couldn't help but imagine how terrible it must have been for the three of them to have grown up dealing with this sort of treatment on their own. As she continued to think about it, her anger grew until Jiraiya had to place a calming hand on her shoulder, slowing them down so as to speak privately.

"What's going on, Konan?"

"I'm sorry, Jiraiya-sensei. It's just, seeing the looks these people give Fu reminds me of the looks the people of Konoha directed at Naruto-kun. I can't help but think about how happy he was when we first established Uzu, before the attack on Konoha. He had a village populated only with people who accepted him for who he was, now…"

"Those same people who hated and beat him are living in the village that should be his home." Jiraiya finished. "I understand what you're feeling, Konan. Even I'm disgusted with the behaviour of those who still regard Naruto as some sort of disease, especially after he risked his life to save all of theirs. But don't forget that he's worked hard to get where he is, and that is starting to show in the people of Uzu."

"How so?"

"The people might have taken to ignoring Naruto's presence, but I think that's a good deal better than chasing him down, beating him, and refusing him service, don't you?"

"I guess," Konan muttered.

"And many of the clans are starting to really respect him too. The Inuzuka would follow him anywhere, as would the Aburame, and the only person the Branch House of the Hyuga like more than him is Hinata." Jiraiya paused as Konan contemplated his words while watching Naruto and Fu laugh at something Gaara said, causing him to frown in confusion. "Naruto doesn't want or need your pity, Konan. He's progressed this far by working hard and having people who care for him standing by his side. The progress in earning the respect of the villagers may be slow, but that's the sort of change that lasts forever. Besides, I don't think he's all that concerned with earning their respect anymore, so long as they aren't actively trying to work against what we're trying to do, he's fine with being left alone."

Konan nodded and they continued on in silence as they headed toward the temple. When they arrived, Naruto was shocked to see a familiar face waiting at the entrance to greet them.

"Yoneda!" He cried, rushing forward to embrace the old priest. "What are you doing here?"

Yoneda chuckled and returned Naruto's hug. "I'm on a jorney to visit the other temples to gather information and knowledge. The other priests and I felt it prudent that we supply the one chosen by Ameterasu-sama with anything we can to help fulfill your destiny. In fact, I actually met another who was knew you and was on a similar pilgrimedge."

Naruto's smile grew when Yoneda stepped aside and a second familiar face greeted him.

"It's been a while, Naruto," Sora said, laughing as Naruto wrapped him in a tight hug as well.

"Sora, it's so good to see you! How are you doing?"

"Not too bad," Sora replied with a shrug. "I'm on a journey to visit different temples to further my training and learn from other monks and priests. As well as get away from Fujika-hime's father. You wouldn't believe how annoying a bored bed ridden Daimiyo can be."

Naruto laughed and turned to his team to provide introductions to those who were unfamiliar with each other. Afterwards, Yoneda invited them inside, though Jiraiya and Konan respectfully declined and went off into the village. Naruto as well created several clones who took off in different directions while he, Gaara, and Fu followed Yoneda and Sora into one of the rooms of the temple where they all sat around a table on the ground and shared a cup of tea.

Naruto told them both about everything he had done since he last saw them, and how he met Gaara and Fu, while Sora shared with Naruto how far he had come in his training and with controlling Kurama's chakra inside of him. Yoneda told them about how Mei had been working to clean up Kiri as well as turn the Land of Water towards a new age of peace and acceptance, fighting the stigma of bloodlines through her words rather than with force.

Together they spent the night laughing and catching up while they waited for Jiraiya, Konan, and Naruto's clones to get back to them.

*(OoO)*

Back in Uzu, Hinata was practicing with her bow when she saw someone sneeking around on the edge of her Byakugan's range. Spinning in place, she fired an arrow at her stalker, eyes widening when a familiar shriek followed the thud of her arrow sticking into a tree. Sprinting through the woods, she came to a stop when she found her sister pinned to the trunk of a tree by an arrow through the shoulder of her clothes.

Noticing several others quickly approaching them, Hinata acted on instinct firing a volley of arrows in every direction until she was surrounded by pinned members of the Hyuga Clan. She noticed that many of them were part of the Main House, while the Branch House members simply looked apologetic for having been forced to help in whatever the others had been planning.

Activating her voice seal to allow Kiba, Shino Kurenai, Anko, Tayuya, and Guren to hear what was going on (as the others were all out on missions and she didn't want to alert Tsunade yet until she knew more) she spun to face her sister, ignoring Neji's glare and not even turning her head as she fired another arrow to pin the other side of his shirt to the tree when he started to speak, making sure to just graze his ribs. She managed to achieve the effect she was hoping for, and every other Hyuga fell silent as she examined her squirming sister with the full might of her Byakugan.

"What are you doing here, Hanabi?" She asked confidently. A far cry from the timid little girl whom they had banished.

Hanabi hesitated, before mustering up as much bravado as she could. "The affairs of the Hyuga Clan are of no concern to an outsider like yourself."

"Is that so?" Anko's voice rang out as she dropped down in between the sisters. "Because it looks to me like this was the foiled attempt at ambushing little Hina-chan here."

"Really Anko, must you be so dramatic?" Kurenai said as she materialized right next to her best friend. "I'm sure they were simply out for an afternoon run and happened to run into Hina-chan."

Hinata was surprised at their response time, but didn't show it as she turned to examine the members of the branch house pinned to several trees around her.

"Is this the once proud Hyuga Clan has lowered itself to?" She asked, purposefully ignoring the members of the Main House. "They force you to take part an ambush against one of your own?"

"You aren't one of us!" Neji spat. "You're nothing but a reject who was thrown out because she wasn't good enough to bare the proud name of Hyuga."

"I'm not talking about the Hyuga Clan," Hinata countered. "I'm talking about the members of the Branch House being forced to attack members of their own village, members of their own nation. Those two acts are paramount to treason. Especially within the Coalition."

"Wha-what do you mean?" Hanabi stuttered.

"I mean that I've had enough of these petty squabble between us," Hinata replied. "And I believe it is time for them to come to an end." Walking up to Ko, who was looking remorsefully down at the ground, she placed a hand on his cheek and waited until he looked up into her eyes. "This village is a place of new beginnings, you don't have to follow them anymore. You can be free."

"I don't think I'd even know what to do if that was possible, Hinata-sama," Ko muttered sadly. "We've been enslaved for so long that we don't know anything else."

"That's not an excuse, Ko," Hinata reasoned. "Naruto and I both stand by our offer to find a way to free you from those seals. He's already seen to their application and use being outlawed, and once he returns from his mission, I'm sure he'll be happy to devote all of his skill into finding a way to remove it safely. The only thing keeping you from being free is yourself. That goes to all of you!" She shouted. "You've been in Uzu long enough to see that things are different here! You don't have to be part of this broken system anymore! You can be your own people!"

"You have no right to make these claims!" One of the Main House members shouted from up above where he was pinned to another tree. "The affairs within a clan have nothing to do with the village in which they stay!"

"Maybe before," Kurenai shot back. "But you are all members of Uzu and the Elemental Coalition of Nations. Things are different here and it's high time you got with the program."

"We'll drop the charges this time," Anko said as she yanked the arrow pinning Hanabi out of the wood, dropping her to her knees. "But you can tell your Elders that they had better straighten up, or they will have the full force of the Coalition bearing down on them."

With that, they left, leaving Hanabi to free the others while they congregated at the Hokage Tower with Kiba, Shino, Karin, Tayuya, and Guren.

"Hinata, are you okay?" Kiba asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Hinata replied. "Though I may have just made things a tad more complicated when Naruto returns."

"I wouldn't worry about it, Hinata," Shino reassured her. "Dealing with the strife within the Hyuga clan has been on Naruto's list of things to do for a while. This just gives him a reason to get started on it."

"Thank you, Shino. I just hope that we can resolve this soon. The world is getting more and more dangerous and we need to be united within the village if we have a hope of surviving the trouble that's being stirred up."

*(OoO)*

"Okay," Naruto admitted as he slid under another kunai and between the feet of an attacking Taki jonin, "in hindsight, this might not have been my brightest plan."

"You think!?" Jiraiya shouted as he broke a woman's nose off his knee, knocking her unconscious.

They had settled for storming the prison where Yugito was being held once Jiraiya and Konan had returned to inform them that the Akatsuki member within Taki was Kakuzu, a missing-nin _from_ Taki. Naruto's clones had also told him that the council had pressured Shibuki, the leader of Taki, into giving up Fu to him by sending her on a mission where he and his partner would take care of her. With this in mind, Naruto reasoned that the best play would be to break Yugito out in as showy a fashion as possible, making sure that Fu was seen among them. This would ensure that word got out to Kumo and Iwa that Yugito was no longer within the Land of Waterfalls, and hopefully drive some of there forces to fighting elsewhere, as well as keep show Taki that Fu had left of her own will, and wasn't kidnapped.

It was risky, but they were already halfway through the prison, and Naruto was confident they would make it. Sora had decided to join them, providing an extra offensive force with his wind attacks while Gaara used his sand to cover his flanks and Naruto along with Fu and Jiraiya led the charge. Konan stayed at the back of the group, her paper shuriken and exploding tags insuring they weren't followed.

Everything was going flawlessly until Naruto felt two massive chakra signatures attack the Village Head's residence moments before a loud explosion shook the prison. Naruto cursed as he recognised one of the signatures as the man who had dispatched Hiashi, and ordered they all gather around him. He closed his eyes and released his restrictions as he honed in on Yugito's chakra signature. Allowing the nature energy to flow through him and empower him, Naruto released enough chakra to cloak himself and jumped into the air, drawing Eclipse along the way and flooding it with earth chakra. He drove the blade into the ground and spun, taking a page out of Kiba's book as he became a human drill, tunneling towards Yugito's location while Gaara carried the others after him in a dome of sand.

The prison shuddered under the sudden brute force attack on its foundations, and Naruto shoved aside the guilt he felt for those he was potentially harming with the collateral damage of his blunt move. Down and down he went until he was mere meters away from Yugito, with only one wall between them. Creating several clones, he burst through the wall, tackling Yugito while his clones held back and grabbed each member of his group, and teleported them all to Uzu in a messy heap amid a massive cloud of dust.

"What in the hell is going on?" Tsunade shouted as she arrived to greet them and noticed their bedraggled states.

"Taki is being attacked," Naruto panted. "Just like Konoha. Had to get them out of there."

He made to stand up, but Tsunade grabbed him by the shoulder. "Naru-kun, wait. I'm not letting you go back there the same way you did against Konoha. You're staying here while you send clones to help where you can. On top of that, you're primary objective is to track the people attacking the village and find out what you can about them, do you understand?"

Naruto nodded and sat back down on the roof, his eyes closed as he created legions of clones who warped back to Taki instantaneously. This time he was going to find out who these people were.

 **A/N: Okay, so a lot happens fast in this one. Naruto meets and befriends another Jinchuriki, they technically accomplish their mission, and also there's a bunch of high-level baddies all in one country that suddenly need to be dealt with. All in all, shit's fucked. Especially when a looming confrontation with the Hyuga Clan is right around the corner. I'm not too happy with how this one turned out, but I couldn't think of a seamless way to transition to dealing with the stuff going on inside of Uzu when things outside the village are really starting to pick up. Anyway, I'm going to leave it at that, and hopefully you'll all forgive one crappy chapter. Thanks again for reading and reviewing, and I'll see you next time.**


	40. Chapter 40

_"It would seem the leader of this village evacuated himself as soon as he was notified we had arrived," the shaggy man remarked as he slid his blade out of the half charred corpse of one of the members of Taki's council._

 _Naruto's clone watched in fear as the shaggy man's hooded companion appeared as if from nowhere, along with five others. He recognised one of them as Chikanari and another as the man who had tried to assassinate him in the Land of Water, but other than that, he was unable to identify anything else about them except for the fact that one of them dwarfed the rest, and they all had truly monstrous chakra signatures._

 _"Would you like one of us to go after him?" Naruto's would-be assassin asked._

 _"There's no need," the shaggy man replied. "He's done our job for us by abandoning his people. Shin, did you learn anything from our friend?"_

 _The companion who had originally accompanied him shook his head and threw Kakuzu's unconscious form on the ground. "He's a member of a group called the Akatsuki. They're after the Tailed Beasts, but haven't seen much luck after the disappearance of several of their members. Itachi Uchiha was amongst those who vanished."_

 _"Yes Shin, I still remember our deal," the shaggy man replied wearily. "You may be a part of the group to find Itachi. Suko, you are to begin work in the Land of Demons, while Chikanari heads to the Land of Snow."_

 _Chikanari and the large man behind him nodded. "I do hope you allow yourself to have a little bit of fun in my place while you're in my old hometown, Suko." The large man said nothing as he and Chikanari vanished into thin air._

 _"Hiroto, Umeda, the two of you are headed for the Land of Vegetables, afterwards, you are to take the Lands of Frost and Iron respectively. All of you are to take a squadron of men to your second targets." Naruto's assassin nodded while his partner stepped forward._

 _"Yukiyama-sama, why are we suddenly going after all these small countries?" She asked. "We've already proved we can take on a Great Nation in the Land of Fire, and unlike Chikanari, the rest of us won't halfass the mission."_

 _"Because, the other three Great Nations are at war, and the Land of Water is already embroiled in chaos," Yukiyama said evenly. "There are other nations in need of liberation, and we need to keep our profiles relatively low after_ you _failed to assassinate the Earth Daimiyo. Besides, it took months to orient ourselves into the proper position to infiltrate Taki. I'd rather not waste that time on nations with a higher risk of failure until we have built up our strength."_

 _Umeda bowed her head and said nothing as she too vanished along with Hiroto. The original two remained and Yukiyama was about to speak when Shin suddenly whipped around to turn in Naruto's direction. Naruto felt himself freeze where he was hidden within the wreckage of the Village Head's Residence, and prepared himself to be dispelled when Shin's attention was drawn away as a massive purple snake crashed into the ground where he and Yukiyama were standing. Naruto registered another clone dispelling, notifying him that Kakuzu was escaping amidst the chaos, and that Waterfall Samurai were suddenly flooding the streets, quelling the panic from the village's leadership all being assassinated until they started killing any shinobi they found._

 _His shock grew as he looked up at the head of the snake and saw none other than Orochimaru standing atop its head, grinning sadistically as he wore what Naruto recognised as Oikawa's samurai armor._

 _"My, my, it certainly has been a long time, hasn't it, Shin?" Orochimaru asked as he hopped off the snake's head, ignoring it as it gorged itself on Taki's populace while the disorganized shinobi forces tried to fight off the invading shinobi._

 _"So, you're Orochimaru," Yukiyama remarked, unimpressed by the Snake Sannin's gargantuan presence._

 _"Indeed I am," Orochimaru replied just as cordially. Screams filled the air as many of the samurai flooding the streets started transforming into various monstrosities. Naruto's shock was cut short as familiar sound of crackling electricity and chirping birds filled the air, and he had just enough time to notice a burning Sharingan before the chidori was shoved through his chest and he was forced to dispel._

*(OoO)*

Naruto cursed violently, hordes of clones appearing and warping away in a flood of chakra as they worked to try and evacuate as many of his samurai as possible.

Everyone else within the meeting room inside the Hokage Tower was stunned into silence as they attempted to process everything Ino and Yazawa had managed to show of Naruto's clone's memories in real time. There were several high-ranking people and shinobi within Uzu, as well as Fujika, Yazawa, Jiraiya, Danzo, and all of the clan heads. Naruto, on the other hand, snapped into action.

"I want to know everything about the individuals with those names yesterday!" He roared. Karin scurried out of the office, followed swiftly by almost everybody but those who knew Naruto personally and could be trusted with discussing their next move. All of them were fearful of the overwhelming anger rolling off him as he attempted to calm himself, and were suddenly reminded that this sixteen year old boy was already a formidable shinobi on his own with several high-ranking missions below his belt. "Mom, we need to establish a priority list, and at least send warnings to the countries that Yukiyama guy mentioned. I have a feeling that he's going to let Orochimaru continue with his conquest of the Taki as well as the Land of Waterfalls, which means we have an international issue to deal with if he succeeds."

"What do you mean?" Danzo asked. "It seemed to me that this fellow was quite the anarchist, and was seemingly unconcerned by Orochimaru's power. Why wouldn't he take the opportunity to do away with him?"

"Because, I can tell that he's smart. If I was as unconcerned with Orochimaru as he was, I would let Orochimaru continue his little conquest, and then do away with him after he had already killed a number of my targets for me."

"Which begs the question: what does Orochimaru have to gain from taking over a second country?" Jiraiya wondered. "He's already got the Land of Sound under his thumb and has labs all over the Elemental Nations. What does he have to gain from taking over Taki?"

"The Hero's Water for starters," Tsunade answered. "If Orochimaru believes the stories about there being an elixir that could multiply the chakra of whoever drinks it by at least ten times, then odds are he would want to use it in his experiments."

Naruto flinched as more and more clones dispelled within Taki. "You're right, Mom, he is after it. On top of that, he keeps infecting people with his Cursed Seal for some reason."

"Why would he do that?" Yazawa asked.

"This version of the Cursed Seal is different from the one he put on Anko and Tayuya," Naruto replied. "This one seems to be weaker, with a higher survival rate, but also has a sort of loyalty seal imbued into it similar to what Guren had when I met her. He has clones that are even biting the civilians, though they're just… just turning into monsters, right there." His voice became hollow as he described the memories rushing back to him. "Some of them die, but they're the lucky ones. Others keep falling to the ground, screaming as their bodies are torn apart and rebuilt into… I don't know what."

"Naru-kun," Tsunade whispered, crouching next to her son and holding him close. "Just dispel the clones. There's nothing you can do."

Naruto's rage peaked once more as he did as told. "Why don't we ever see this coming?!" He shouted. His chakra was rolling off his body, and most of the clan heads were cowering within their seats at the blue energy surrounding him darkened and started to take the form of a dark, flaming dragon. They all watched, stupefied as Tsunade held him close while a miniature Nine-Tails suddenly burst through the doors to join her in providing him comfort.

"It's okay to be upset, Kit," Kurama rumbled as he wrapped both his tails around Naruto and Tsunade. "We managed to get some valuable intel though, so remember that those people didn't have to die in vain."

Naruto's leaned into the emrace of his surrogate parents and activated his Kunshugan, holding perfectly still for a moment before deactivating it and reining in his chakra.

"This meeting is adjourned," Tsunade announced, her own chakra making it clear that she wasn't making a suggestion as the room cleared out. Once it was just her, Naruto, and Kurama, she turned her attention back to her son. "Naru-kun, I know today was difficult, and completely unexpected, so why don't you go and cool off? I know that there are several girls waiting outside worried about you, maybe you should go and reassure them?"

Naruto nodded and hugged them both once more before slowly walking out of the meeting room. Tsunade and Kurama watched him go, and she waited until he was out of earshot to turn to him.

"What is going on with his chakra?" She demanded. "Owryudan said he would be different thanks to that whole Inner Dragon thing, but he almost felt like you did when you attacked."

"Not quite," Kurama replied. "There's still a quality that's distinctly him, even if it is slowly turning more and more like those dragons of his, but what he just gave off there, it felt a bit like what I and the other Tailed-Beasts used to be. That much raw power has the potential to rip even Naruto apart if he doesn't adapt to it properly."

"And if he does?"

"Then that boy might just live to be the man Ameterasu-sama thinks he will be."

*(OoO)*

Naruto took a deep breath and forced a smile onto his face as he exited the Hokage Tower and was greeted by four worried girlfriends waiting just outside the door. Hinata, Kurenai, Anko, and Haku immediately rushed him and he couldn't help but grunt as he was wrapped up in a tight hug. Closing his eyes and allowing himself to settle into the comfort they were providing, Naruto's smile slowly became more genuine while Kurenai shared a look with the others.

Though reluctant, Hinata and Haku nodded and left Kurenai and Anko to deal with helping their boyfriend. Both of them had been shinobi for quite a bit longer and would be able to better understand what Naruto was going through. They both gave him a soft kiss before pulling away, explaining that Hinata had issues with the Hyuga Clan to deal with inside the Hokage Tower.

"Naruto-kun, why don't we get out of here?" Anko suggested softly as she hugged him from behind.

Naruto nodded and in a surge of chakra they all were transported to the top of a nearby mountain. As soon as they landed, Anko and Kurenai pulled him to the ground between them.

"Tell us what's going on, Naruto-kun," Kurenai requested. "What happened there?"

"Yukiyama and his cronies killed the council in Taki," Naruto muttered. "On top of that, Orochimaru has taken the postion of Shogun and invaded Taki, meaning the Land of Waterfalls belongs to him. I'm just sick of not being able to do anything while the rest of the world tears itself apart."

"You're not giving yourself enough credit," Anko said. "You're the one who started this Coalition. You brought together two of the Five Great Nations, as well as the Land of Hot Water. But the Elemental Nations are huge, and have a history of war as old as they are. It's going to take time to start bringing the other nations into it."

"They were all so powerful," Naruto muttered. "Even Sasuke-teme was there and his chakra signature was a lot closer to Orochimaru's level than when I last saw him. And that Yukiyama guy wasn't even fazed by Orochimaru at all. He didn't even seem to see him as a threat."

"You're not going to have to face any of them alone, Naruto-kun," Kurenai reassured him. "There are tons of people all willing to fight by your side. But you can't expect to change the world in a few months. Even if you were strong enough to do that, people would just see you as another conqueror. Focus on doing what you can, and we'll worry about those guys when the time comes."

Naruto tightened his grip on both of them as he planted a deep, passionate kiss on both their lips leaving them all breathless.

"Hebi-hana," Naruto panted. "If you'll let me, I'd like to take care of that seal on your neck once and for all."

Anko and Kurenai perked up at his words. "You figured out a way to remove it?" Anko asked hopefully.

"In a way," Naruto replied. "I saw Orochimaru place a new variant of it on several people and my clones all analysed the processed before using my Kunshugan to deconstruct it."

"I love it when he talks dirty," Kurenai quipped, lightening the mood.

"I couldn't agree more, Kure-chan," Anko purred as she draped herself across Naruto's body, bringing her lips dangerously close to his ear. "Please, Naru-kun, tell me how you're gonna get this mark off of your mate."

A deep rumble shook Naruto's chest as his pupils narrowed into slits and he brought his mouth down to plant a series of kisses on and around Anko's Curse Mark. "I'm gonna purge that snake's soul from you with my own. But first, are you sure you wanna do this? I'm barely restraining the beast inside me as it is, and I don't know what it will do once I remove the mark."

"We have a fairly good idea," Kurenai murmured as she started laying kisses all over Naruto's neck, tugging at his robes to expose more skin.

"And we most definitely want it," Anko added. "Please, Naru-kun, get rid of this stain on my neck. Replace it with your own mark so I can let everybody know that I'm not just some Snake Bitch. We want to be your mates."

"Alright," Naruto conceded. His pupils narrowed more and his fingernails lengthened as he moulded his chakra into a similar fashion he had seen Orochimaru do so on his samurai. His teeth grew into the shape of fangs before he leaned down and sank them into Anko's neck right on top of where her Cursed Mark was. There was a tidal wave of chakra as Naruto connected his chakra network with her own, and Anko was torn between pleasure and pain as fire roared through her veins. Naruto removed his head from Anko's neck and licked the bite mark as purple chakra was forcibly expunged from it, before holding his whimpering girlfriend close. It didn't take long for another rumble to escape his chest as he felt Anko start nibbling on the exposed skin of his chest while Kurenai grabbed him by the cheeks and forced him into a searing kiss. She whined slightly when Naruto's lips left her own, only to groan in anticipation as he approached her jugular, and cry out in rapturous agony as he sank his fangs into her throat.

(LEMON WARNING)

Releasing his other mate, Naruto rose and shed his clothing, revealing a body toned and scarred through a life of struggle, while Anko and Kurenai did so as well. Anko barely had time to squeak before Naruto had jumped her, ravaging every available inch of skin before honing in on one of her nipples. She groaned as he latched his mouth onto her breast, tongue and teeth lavishing her with attention while he held her arms above her head with his one hand, the other slowly adventuring down her toned stomach towards the place she needed him most.

Her shout of pleasure was muffled as Kurenai crawled over and claimed her lips in a deep kiss, their tongues caught in an elaborate dance as she felt Naruto's fingers enter her. He thrusted his wrist back and forth for several minutes as his mouth continued its exploration of her body, delighting in the different sounds he could draw from his mate. His cock throbbed painfully as he finally pulled his fingers away from Anko's now soaking depths and lowered his mouth to replace them, while Kurenai took the opportunity to suck her best friend and fellow mate's essence from his hand, providing him with a spectacular visual as she leaned down to share the taste with Anko.

Anko was lost in a world of sensation as she felt Naruto's tongue reach up and focus on her clit, choosing to stay there when he noticed the reaction it had drawn from her. While it was clear he was inexperienced, he more than made up for that with a sort of feral enthusiasm and by being a quick study. He had quickly identified many of her weak points and his hands would often return to knead and stroke them while he feasted on her pussy. Kurenai also joined in, stroking and squeezing Anko's breasts as they shared passionate kiss after kiss. With her arms now free, Anko was torn between burying them in Naruto's soft blond and Kurenai's silky black, opting for black when one of Naruto's hands strayed from where it was kneading her skin to slowly travel up Kurenai's thigh and plunge two fingers in her soaking womanhood.

Kurenai broke from her kiss to almost scream in pleasure as she was forced onto her back next to Anko while Naruto rose up to begin kissing them both again. The sensations flooding their bodies grew as Naruto's chakra started penetrating their bodies, acting as a catalyst as it connected what all three of them were feeling. Anko shook and howled as her orgasm rocked over her while Naruto situated himself over Kurenai, who was still gasping and quivering from the mind blowing sensations flowing through her, amplified by what she felt coming off of her two lovers.

She was snapped back to reality as she felt Naruto stroke his penis up and down over her before swiftly plunging down in one fell stroke. The next several minutes were filled with feral passion as she looked into his bestial eyes, losing herself in his slitted pupils before he leaned down to bite her once again on the neck, while Anko leaned in to kiss her. Naruto ravaged them both in a way that was clearly more animalistic as he brought them to their respective peaks over and over again with his deep rutting, soaking up their pleasure until the coil within him exploded and he roared as he unloaded while Kurenai shrieked beneath him, feeling the heat flooding her and seemingly soaking into her being.

There was a brief moment of fear when Naruto climbed on top of Anko, his manhood soaked in a mixture of juices, and Anko looked into his slitted eyes and saw the beast that lived within him. She was momentarily afraid of this animal showing no mercy, and being solely concerned with its own pleasure, regardless of how she felt, but those fears were quickly abated when Naruto leaned down to kiss her softly, and she felt his chakra entering her body at the same time as his cock parted her folds and stretched her beautifully. While it was clearly the beast controlling Naruto's actions at the moment, the feeling of his chakra suffusing her body reminded her that it was still Naruto, and she couldn't help but gasp as his unfiltered emotions flowed through her. Once more, Naruto's stamina reached its end and he tumbled over the edge, orgasming hard as he roared and sank his teeth once more into Anko's neck, rumbling happily when he felt both her and Kurenai do the same to his own.

Tired and content, the three of them curled together, falling asleep as they enjoyed the isolation of being many hundreds of feet over the village with only the stars and the moon to bear witness to what they shared together.

(LEMON OVER)

The next morning, Naruto woke happier than he had ever been before. He was laying against the cool stone of the mountaintop, bathed in the warm light of the sunrise as two of his mates curled up along his sides, both deeply satisfied after the long night they had spent together. His heart nearly slammed out of his chest as he kissed them both on the top of the head, closing his eyes as he returned to sleep for several more hours.

"Tenshi-chan, Hebi-hana," He murmured. "I'm not entirely sure what I'm feeling, but when I'm with any of you girls, I feel like everything makes sense. Like all of this is worth it." His voice slurred as sleep once again started to take him. "Maybe I should do some reading… figure out if what this pounding in my chest is. Maybe it's why my Dragon seems so happy…"

As his breathing once again evened out, Anko and Kurenai both opened their eyes and exchanged a look of glee mixed with concern. They would have to talk to the other girlfriends about this.

*(OoO)*

Later that afternoon, Naruto was sitting beneath a tree with Hinata between his legs as she explained what had happened between her and the Hyuga Clan. Once he had properly awoken next to Kurenai and Anko, they had all spent another hour beneath the sun on their mountaintop before reluctantly returning to their duties. Naruto had immediately returned to the Hokage Tower where he had quickly transported Yoneda and Sora to Nagakita after following through on his promise of extracting Kurama's chakra out of Sora, where they would continue their journey and spread word to the other temples of what was going on in the hopes that they could provide aid. After that, he had met with Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Danzo, who had explained that Mei had provided some information on the location of several of Orochimaru's labs. They had all decided that Orochimaru should be the first one they deal with, considering he seemed to know at least one of Yukiyama's men and was their most probable lead to find out who the rest were. Teams had been sent out to the various nations Yukiyama had mentioned, with Naruto being told he would be preparing to head to the Land of Demons in a couple of months as Orochimaru had a lab there, and it was one of the targets Yukiyama mentioned. They just wanted to wait until they could find him a sufficient mission with which to cover his investigation.

There was the concern that he would change his plans after finsing out that he had been overheard, but there was nothing they could do about that. In the meantime, Naruto had elected to hang out with Kiba, Karin, Shino, and Hinata, watching as Kiba and Shino sparred while his body adjusted to the chakra he had absorbed out of Sora.

"So, you think the Hyuga will issue you a challenge at some point?" He asked once Hinata finished her tale.

"I think the Hyuga will issue _us_ a challenge," Hinata replied. "When the Hyuga first joined Konoha, they earned their acclaim by providing the First Hokage with a formidable challenge. They fought Madara Uchiha to a stalemate at the time, and forced him to have to enter his Sage Mode in order to beat them, and claim command over them. Odds are they're either going to challenge you or Tsunade-sama to a fight against their best warriors for the right to lead them in this new village."

"And you're being challenged for what you said to the members of the Branch House?" Naruto incquired.

Hinata nodded. "They probably see what I said as an affront to their traditions. Especially because I promised that we'd find a way to remove the Caged Bird Seal."

"That shouldn't be too difficult," Naruto replied. "My skills in Fuinjutsu have grown quite a bit from my training with the dragons. I should be able to remove the Caged Bird in the same way I did yours by now."

"That's great!" Hinata exclaimed, turning her head to kiss Naruto deeply. "Now we can finally get rid of that accursed stain on the Hyuga and allow the members of the Branch House to choose for themselves."

"I'll talk to Mom tonight, she can send out an announcement to the Hyuga Clan, and I should be able to start removing them before I leave for the Land of Demons." Hinata grinned and kissed him once more, separating when Kiba tossed a kunai lightly in their direction and Naruto had to reach up to pluck it out of the air.

"Hey, Loverboy! You coming to spar with us or what?"

 **A/N: So there you have it. Taki is gone and Orochimaru is building his strength while the newly identified Yukiyama seemingly just ignores him. There's also a quick lemon in there, leading to the question of who wins the bet and providing Naruto with a little bit of happiness in what amounted to a rather shitty day. We also get another glimpse into how ignorant Naruto is about some of his own feelings, and set up to deal with the Hyuga in the very next chapter. The real question though, if Anko and Kurenai both have sex with Naruto at the same time, who wins the bet? Thanks for reading and reviewing, and as always, I'll see you next time.**


	41. Chapter 41

Naruto's time was split between training, going through intelligence reports, and spending time with his girlfriends and family. He and Tsunade had accomplished the necessary work to finsish outlawing the Caged Bird, and his clones were on the verge of completing the counter seal when the challenge was finally issued to him and Hinata two weeks after his return from Taki. As an arena had yet to be built within Uzu (Tazuna and the contractors who worked for him having focused more on building homes and infrastructure), the battle was set to take place in Naruto's favourite training ground behind the Hokage Tower. Countless people, shinobi, samurai, and civilian alike, showed up to watch the matches as Hinata stood across from Neji.

Had this been months ago, Naruto would have been concerned seeing his girlfriend facing off against the prodigy of the Hyuga Clan. Neji was the best shinobi of their generation to come out of that clan, and he wasn't afraid to show it as he burst into action the moment Tsunade declared the fight to begin.

He sprinted across the training ground with his Byakugan active as Hinata simply took a deep breath and lowered into her own stance while activating her dojutsu. It was clear most thought this would be a rather quick fight, given Hinata's reputation within her old clan before being banished, so when Hinata easily dodged Neji's opening strike, twirling around him to tap her palms against his ribs in a rapid one-two, surprise was the general emotion throughout the crowd.

Neji growled and whirled around to try and kick her in the head, only for Hinata to duck and grab his ankle with one hand, forcing him to over extend while her other shot out, knocking his leg out from under him and using his own momentum to spin him into the ground.

Naruto cheered proudly as she jumped away from him and drew her bow, knocking an arrow on the string and drawing it back as she landed and Neji pushed himself to his feet.

"As always, Hinata- _sama_ , you are still fated to lose," he spat.

"I don't believe in fate," Hinata replied. "And you haven't even landed a single blow, whereas I've already sealed six of your tenketsu and have you in my sights."

"Your reliance on meager weapons to make up for your flawed fighting style has fated you to lose in the face of the Gentle Fist," Neji declared. "I may be in your sights, but you are within _my divination._ "

Dashing forward, Neji bobbed out of the way of Hinata's arrow, taking a simple graze to the shoulder as he threw his hands forward and proceeded to unleash a barrage of palm strikes. Hinata struggled to keep up with him, dropping her bow as she blocked his strikes with her own, occasionally getting off blows of her own, but they didn't seem to slow Neji down in the slightest as he reared back to deliver the final blow of the One-Hundred-Twenty-Eight Strikes, aiming directly for her heart.

Naruto clenched his fists, struggling to stay still as he watched Neji attempt to land a potentially lethal blow on his girlfriend, when Hinata snapped into action, dispelling the weakened chakra around her hands, she focused instead on concentrating her chakra to her muscles as she employed everything Anko and Ryuzuka had taught her about using her opponents strengths against them and grabbed Neji's wrist, pulling it farther than he meant to and sweeping him down to the ground, where she gave it a viscious twist, fracturing the joint.

Neji cried out in pain and attempted to spin his legs in order to kick her, only for Hinata to duck the first and release his wrist in order to slam her palms into his knee cap before jumping away. When he tried to rise this time, he was met with an arrow slicing through his side and burying itself in the ground. Shock filled his face when he spun in place to deflect Hinata's third arrow with his Kaiten only for the arrow to tear through the flesh between the middle and ring finger on his right hand as he dropped to the ground in pain.

"You won't be able to get up," Hinata stated as she walked over, drawing a kunai from the pouch at her thigh. "The arrows I fired were all laced with a paralytic. The harder you worked, the quicker they acted to paralyze your muscles." She leaned down and pressed her kunai against Neji's jugular and Tsunade announced her as the victor. Naruto immediately rushed forward and wrapped her in a hug, quickly inspecting every inch of her for injury before sending her over to Tsunade to be healed. As he did so, several of the Hyuga elders stepped forward and Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

"I'm sure you are aware as to what needs to happen next," one of the elders said smugly.

"Yeah, you geezers are gonna challenge me to a fight like you did my grandfather before me," Tsunade shot back. "So which one of you do I get to knock around first?"

The elders all smirked and parted to make way for another, much younger man. He had midnight black hair, and was easily a head taller than Tsunade. He looked to be in his mid-thirties and, unlike most Hyuga, was outfitted with a chest plate and arm guards, while a bo staff as long as he was tall lay strapped across his back with two swords strapped perpendicular to his spine, just above his tailbone.

"Oh, we won't be fighting you, Tsunade-sama," the elder declared. "Rather we've chosen Nakata as our champion. He along with Hiashi-sama were the two members of the Hyuga Clan to grace the top tier of the A-Rank shinobi along with only a select few from Konoha."

"In that case, I'll pick a champion for myself," Tsunade replied, nonplussed by the appearance of one of the elite members of the shinobi force. "Naru-kun, do you mind handling this? I have a ton of paperwork and meetings to take care of after this, and I'd rather not have to take my robes to be cleaned beforehand."

Naruto grinned and nodded, jogging into place across from Nakata.

"That's fine by me," Nakata replied. "Like we did with the Sharingan, I, as future head of the Hyuga Clan, will prove the might of the Byakugan over your dojutsu, and secure our place once again at the top of the shinobi ranks."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked. "Hanabi is the next head of the Hyuga Clan."

"It's a good thing we are betrothed then, isn't it?" Nakata sneered.

Naruto's face scrunched in disgust. "She's, like, nine, and you're, what thirty something?"

"All the more time for her to provide the Hyuga Clan with the next generation of powerful heirs," Nakata replied.

Naruto took a deep breath and smiled darkly. "Alright, now I'm really gonna enjoy this."

"As tradition states, this will be a match between bodies and eyes," the elder announced. "There will be no use of jutsu. You will fight using only your weapons, your Taijutsu, and your eyes."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd, as Naruto was known to be a ninjutsu specialist. Kiba was somewhat concerned, but remained confidant that his friend could succeed. He had heard about Naruto's other exploits, and after training with the dragons for so long, he could only have gotten stronger.

"Oh, Uzumaki's dead," Kanagi muttered gleefully.

Kiba forced down his surge of anger, noticing that his sister was as well. He looked over at Kanagi, though, and found him sweating bullets as someone focused their killing intent upon him. He tracked the feeling to Fu, the Jinchuriki Naruto had rescued from Taki, and found her glaring hatefully at Kanagi and his father as they watched the fight about to begin. Setting aside her strange reaction as a simple byproduct of suddenly being so close to the boy she considered her brother, Kiba turned his attention back to the fight as Naruto once more shed his robes.

"Too bad you can't make use of all those seals covering your body," Nakata taunted. "I almost feel bad beating the crap out of a defenseless kid."

"No one else ever did, why start now?" Naruto growled. "Besides, I'm not as defenseless as you think." Naruto flexed and the disks on his back floated up to take their places over various parts of his shirtless body. Several of the villagers gawked at the innumerable scars covering his body, guilt flooding many faces, while others were impressed by the toned physique beneath the armor. The disks moved to their various locations and, for once, attached themselves to Naruto's form. Without him channeling his chakra cloak, they had no need to float and act as focal points. Instead, he had learned how to properly control them, with help from Owryudan, and now molded them to his body as they took the form of a proper set of armor. Once they had finished changing shape, Naruto was gabed in a set of interlocking plates that covered his torso, with a plate skirt, shin guards, and ornate boots shaped like claws covering his legs. His shoulder guards draped over his biceps, protecting them while the opposite side rose up to form a sort of collar around his neck. His forearm guards had three black spikes protruding from them and stretched down to cover the back of his hands with another set of claws.

He dropped into a fighting stance, looking like a fearsome blend of man and beast as he stared down Nakata. Nakata himself quickly shook off his shock at Naruto's appearance and lowered into his own fighting stance, staff at the ready and Byakugan active.

"This won't be an easy fight," Kurenai noted from her place with Hinata, Konan, and Haku. Guren, Tayuya, and Anko were all out on missions, but had each demanded they be contacted as soon as the fight had finished.

"You mean besides the restriction on using any jutsu?" Konan inferred.

Kurenai nodded. "Hiashi earned his place within A-Rank for being an absolute master with the Gentle Fist. Nakata was already a close second, but also uses his Hyuga techniques to supplement his regular shinobi arts. He was on par with Kakashi and Guy as one of our most powerful mission-ready shinobi back in Konoha."

"Naruto-kun will win," Hinata declared. "He's faced greater challenges and always come through, this is no different."

"This is a match to prove he isn't the same child your villagers hated all that time ago," Gaara said, appearing as if from nowhere. "He will win, if for no other reason than to prove that to himself."

Nakata charged with his staff, the sound of metal slamming against metal ringing through the air as Naruto blocked the first blow, ducking under the follow up and delivering a quick punch to Nakata's lower back, his claws leavine shallow puncture marks. Nakata rolled away from the assault and swept his staff along Naruto's feet, catching his right leg and forcing him into the air where he spun around slammed Naruto back down with a swing to the gut.

Naruto gasped as the impact, even through his armor, forced the air from his lungs, but didn't stop moving as he hit the ground and sprang up to kick Nakata in the jaw, flipping to his feet and swaying out of the way of a downwards swipe before kneeing Nakata in the face, breaking his nose. Nakata snarled and managed to land a backhanded swipe to Naruto's jaw, taking advantage of Naruto's doubled over form to follow up with a beat down on his exposed back.

Naruto shook off the blow to his face, and twirled around Nakata's attack, punching him once more and grabbing his staff as he tried to counter. They struggled against each other until Naruto slammed his forehead into Nakata's already broken nose, knocking him off balance. Naruto then tightened his grip and spun, swing the staff and its wielder over his shoulder as he dropped Nakata on his rising knee. His eyes widened as he watched Nakata drop several flashbangs, and he quickly shut his eyes, to prevent being blinded, grunting as a kunai buried itself in his chest, just between his chest and shoulder plates.

He yelped as he felt another slide right between the plates along his thigh before he was suddenly hoisted off the ground. He opened his eyes to see himself hanging upside down from one of the nearby trees, his ears ringing as Nakata slowly approached, staff prepared to beat him like a piñata. His first swipe to Naruto's head made everything swirl as stars filled his vision, but Naruto shook that off as he brought he arms up to block the next one. He grabbed the staff and yanked Nakata close, where he sent a metal elbow right into his temple, while his left hand reached down and yanked one of Nakata's blades out of its sheath.

Slicing the ninja wire holding him up, Naruto spun in midair and delivered a clawed kick to Nakata's temple once more, slicing the prominent veins around his Byakugan and causing him to shout in pain even as he spun around and knocked the sword out of Naruto's hand, sending it spinning through the air before it sunk into the tree up to its hilt. Naruto spun with the swing of Nakata's staff, and and tried to sweep him once more, only to have to bring his arms up to block him as he leapt over Naruto's leg and landed with a downwards swing before shifting into a relentless series of blows back and forth which Naruto blocked one after the other as he activated his Kunshugan and waited for the right moment.

Nakata's attacks eventually slowed down slightly, and Naruto took that opportunity to swat his staff away, unleashing his own barrage of clawed punches, crumpling and piercing his armor in a variety of places before grabbing Nakata's staff as he attempted to counter and spinning in place, yanking it out of his hands and jumping to slam a clawed punch down on his face, slicing open the veins near his other Byakugan.

He roared as he landed and snapped the staff in two over his knee, hurling both parts at Nakata as he drew his second sword and sliced them out of the air before leaping up and throwing several smoke bombs at the ground. Naruto closed his eyes and focused on his other senses. His hearing and sight may have been compromised by the explosives, but the former was quickly returning to him, and he had plenty of other methods of locating Nakata in the meantime.

Taking a deep breath, he ducked as he felt the reverberations of the earth beneath his feet telling him Nakata had planted his lead foot just behind him, while the shifting air told him exactly where the sword was at all times as he spun around it, delivering another couple of punches before reaching up and blocking Nakata's blade with one arm and kicking him in the gut. Nakata backflipped away from the blow and leapt through the air before rushing in for another exchange of blows. They danced around each other to the clang of the sword bouncing off Naruto's armor as Nakata tried to strike at the small openings in his armor while blinking the blood out of his eyes and straining to keep his Byakugan from flickering.

Shouting in rage, he attempted to stab Naruto in the ribs only for him to spin around the attack. Nakata also spun his momentum around, leaping into the air as he attempted to cleave the exposed back of Naruto's head, but Naruto had been expecting this and raised his arms behind his head, eyes still closed and caught Nakata's blade between the spikes on his forearm guards. They both grunted as Nakata struggled to free his sword from between the interlocked spikes until in a burst of motion, Naruto spun and ripped his arms apart, shattering the blade and sending the pieces spinning through the air before flipping through the air and kicking the sections of blade down at Nakata's face. Nakata managed to dodge the first, but the second pierced his hand, knocking the broken hilt to the ground and opening him to the third which he barely dodged as it sliced a deep gouge through his cheek and forced his head down to the side as he doubled over.

He barely had time to return to a standing position before his Byakugan flickered and he saw Naruto right beside him. He tried to move, but Naruto proved to be faster, slugging him across the face and slamming his face into the hilt of the blade imbedded in the tree directly behind him, knocking him unconscious.

The smoke cleared and Naruto dismissed his armor as he turned to the gathered Hyuga, his toned, scarred chest making him look every bit the warrior he was as he slowly walked toward the fearful elders.

"The Hyuga _will_ answer to the rules of Uzushiogakure and the Coalition. You _will_ anull the betrothal between him and Hanabi, and you will answer to her once she reaches the rank of Chunin. In the meantime, the Hokage will designate a representative in her place who will accompany her on all clan matters and have the final say in all her decisions. There _won't_ be anymore division between the houses, and any future use of the Caged Bird Seal will result in immediate punishment." Reaching into his pocket, Naruto pulled out a slip of paper and walked over to Ko, who was staring at him in awe, and bowed. "Ko-san, you have always been loyal to my Ao-hime and originally helped us back in Konoha, where I promised you would be the first person I freed from the Caged Bird. Would you allow me to make good on that promise now?"

Ko nodded, speechless, and stood rooted to his spot as Naruto layed the piece of paper across his forehead. He performed a series of handseals and the paper glowed slightly before Naruto reached up and pealed it off, revealing the newly unblemished skin beneath it. Tears sprang up into Ko's eyes as he rushed forward and embraced Naruto, thanking him profusely. Naruto smiled and patted his back before turning away and walking over to Neji who was leaning against a nearby tree, separate from the other members of the Hyuga Clan.

"Whaddya say, Neji? Would you like to escape the fate you thought you were trapped with?"

Neji as well was speechless as he had his own seal removed, and Naruto could see the confusion in his eyes as he returned to stand by Hinata and Tsunade while Hanabi hesitantly approached them.

"H-Hokage-sama," Hanabi stuttered. "I would like to request that my sister be reinstated as heir to the Hyuga Clan. She is stronger, smarter, and has more experience than me, and I believe she would be the best fit to lead us toward a new age of equality within Uzu."

"That would be up to Hinata," Tsunade replied, turning to look at Hinata.

"I graciously accept the position of Head of the Hyuga Clan, Hokage-sama," Hinata said with a bow. "I swear to lead the Hyuga in aiding to accomplish the goals of Uzu, the Land of Fire, and the Coalition however I can, to the best of my ability."

Cheers sprang up throughout the village, and celebrations were quickly prepared as Naruto hunkered down in front of a long line of former Branch House members within the Hokage Tower, removing seals before sending them off to join in the festivities as they celebrated the appointment of their rightful leader.

*(OoO)*

The sun had long since set when the last of the Caged Bird Seals had been removed, the slips of paper holding them being used as kindling in the celebratory bonfire in the middle of the village. Tsunade had already treated Naruto's injuries before joining in the festivities as soon as the words _open bar_ had been uttered. Naruto sighed and made sure to tell her to be careful before she ran off as he sat atop the Hokage Tower, watching as Hinata was approached by legions of villagers, from thankful Hyuga, to congratulatory friends, to desperate brown-nosers. She handled them all with grace, and Naruto couldn't help but grin as he watched Kiba escort Kanagi and his father away from them.

"Why do you allow that man to stay within the village?"

"The same reason I allow Sakura's mom, and every other Demon Hater to stay," Naruto replied as Fu appeared next to him, swinging her legs over the edge of the tower.

"But after what he did-"

"If it weren't for him and the others, I probably wouldn't be where I am today," Naruto said, cutting her off as Haku and Konan also appeared on the rooftop.

"After what who did?" Konan asked.

"Just another of the villagers trying to garner favour with Ao-Hime," Naruto said as he invited both of them over. "This village is supposed to be a place of new beginnings, for everyone. So long as they don't fall into old habits, then I'll alow them to stay."

"And if they are unable to move past their hatred for you?" Haku asked.

"If they still can't stand me, despite the true culprits of what happened in Konoha constantly napping downstairs and being stuck in the cells with only Kakashi and his guards for company, then there's nothing I can do. But if they threaten me or anyone within my Coalition, I'll be the first to remove them."

Konan and Haku frowned but dropped it as they leaned against his shoulders. Haku ran a hand under his open robe, feeling the area near his shoulder where he had taken a kunai earlier that day. The skin was rough, but it was nowhere near as bad as the other scars that marred his body. They sat there in silence until Fu finally turned to him.

"Naruto-nii, do you… do you think you could take the Seven-Tails out of me like you did the others?"

"Are you sure, Fu?" Naruto asked. "You won't be anywhere near as strong as you were with it."

"I know, but… I've been spending a lot of time with Kurama, Isobu, and Shukaku, and they all seem so happy to be in the outside world. On top of that, I feel like-like until I'm free of it, I'll never be totally free of Taki, and I would really like to just… put that part of my life behind me. I don't blame it, I mean I did, at first, but Shukaku-kun showed me how the Tailed-Beasts are just as trapped in this situation as their Jinchuriki. I spoke with Chommei-kun and he agrees that he wants to be free, even if it costs him his power, so please, free us from this."

"Alright," Naruto said, slowly standing to his feet. He unsealed Corona and beckoned Fu to stand before him. "Hasa-chan, Sekki-chan, considering how powerful Chommei is, I'll probably be knocked out after absorbing and freeing him, so could you take care of me and reassure mom that everything's fine?"

Haku and Konan both nodded and Naruto turned back to Fu instructing her to summon up Chommei's power and grab hold of Corona. There was a flash of chakra, and Tsunade rushed to their position in an instant, calming down slightly when she saw what was happening, while watching as Naruto channeled the chakra out of Fu and into himself, gritting his teeth in pain as the massive amount of power the Seven-Tails held was forced into his seal. He quickly created created Chommei's new body and placed the new seal on it before collapsing into his mother's arms while Kurama ran to pick them both up and place them on his back.

"Get me Ino Yamanaka," Tsunade ordered as Kurama carried them both down to the training ground behind the Hokage Tower. He placed Naruto on the ground, and immediately trees started bursting out of the ground around his body. Tsunade snapped her fingers and Yamato appeared, attempting to control the growth while she got to work helping him repair his chakra network. Kurama curled around them both, and Ino had just arrived when Yamato lost control and the trees burst forth once more, twining together to form a thick dome of wood around Naruto. With the help of Kurama and Tsunade's enhanced strength, Ino made her way inside the dome before it completely closed, sealing off all light except for the pale green glow of Tsunade's technique.

 _"Tsunade-sama, the dome is starting to be entombed in crystal,"_ Konan's voice reported over the voice seal. _"Whatever's going on, you need to stop it before you run out of air."_

"It must be some sort of defence mechanism," Tsunade concluded. "Ino, I need you to bring me and Kurama into Naruto's mindscape. We should have plenty of time in there, as time moves more slowly, and with all three of us humans comatose, we'll use less air."

"I can try," Ino said hesitantly. "But I've never brought someone else along with me. Not to mention how chakra consuming it will be."

"I'll help provide the connection," Kurama reassured her. "And I'll act as a bridge between all of our chakras. You'll soon find that there will be plenty enough for you to use. I have to warn you both, the kit's mindscape is not a fun place. It will be completely different from seeing his memories. We're about to head into a den filled with all of Naruto's own personal demons."

"I'll do it," Ino said resolutely. "Naruto has been nothing but a good friend to me. The least I can do is help him in return."

"Alright then," Kurama reached out with his two tails and pressed them against Ino and Tsunade's foreheads, while a third one made of chakra formed and reached down to press against the seal on Naruto's stomach. "Let's go keep our leader from exploding."

*(OoO)*

The first thing Tsunade registered once her chakra connected to the others' was the unimagineable size of Naruto's. She reached out towards his chakra resevoirs, healing the pathways along the way, and gasped as she came upon the veritable sea of energy her son contained. She was soon joined by Ino and Kurama as they stared at the well of power.

" _That's_ Naruto's chakra?" Ino asked disbelievingly.

"That's correct," Kurama replied. "And up there are my own and Chommei's chakra."

They both looked up to see what looked like two suns floating above them, glowing with the power they contained. One of them was slightly bigger than the other, but both dwarfed Naruto's own reserves by several times.

"It looks like they're still steadily pouring into Naruto's chakra system," Tsunade observed as she watched a thin stream of energy flow from both spheres into Naruto's reserves. "So why would his body react so violently to this one."

"Because that Inner Dragon of his is a glutton," Kurama said. "Watch."

Tsunade stared as Naruto's chakra rumbled, and out of it burst a shape vaguely similar to a dragon's head. It rapidly climbed up the stream of energy coming from the smaller of the two suns, growing as it consumed it along the way until it slammed into the sun with an open mouth, causing an explosion to shake the ground beneath their feet, throwing Tsunade and Ino off their feet. Tsunade snapped into action as the pipes representing Naruto's chakra pathways started bursting all over the place, the energy leaking out corroding anything it touched. She snapped to work repairing everything she could as the bright light of the explosion eventually died down and all that was left was the dragon made of chakra where the sun had been. The dragon roared, its shape more solid now as it dove back into Naruto's much larger chakra reserves while the beam of energy from the larger sun suddenly became larger than before.

"What the hell was that!?" Tsunade screamed as she hurried to fix the chakra networks around her.

"That was Naruto's body finishing its absorbtion of my chakra," Kurama replied.

"What but that should still have been months away!"

Kurama shook his head as he walked over to her to help in the repairs. "You forget that for him it was two years since he freed me and Isobu. On top of that, the larger his chakra reserves get, the faster they absorb ours."

"So, he's gonna absorb the Seven-Tails' chakra even faster now?" Ino concluded.

"That's right. If he were smart, he would have waited until he was finished absorbing my own chakra before absorbing Shukaku's. And after that, he should have worked his way up."

"Assuming your siblings would be willing to give him their power," Tsunade countered.

"They would. Naruto is pretty good at explaining the benefits of leaving behind most of our power in exchange for our freedom. Besides, those seals of his slowly allow us to build power as well. We'll never be as strong as we were, but that's probably for the best."

"I hate to interrupt this lesson on advanced chakra theory and ethics," Ino said. "But does anyone else hear shouting?"

"We need to move," Kurama said urgently.

"What why?" Tsunade asked.

"Because of them," he said pointing his tail towards what looked to be a crowd of shadows with glowing red eyes running towards them, baring weapons and shouting obscenities. Nodding, Tsunade finished up what she was doing, noting that Naruto's pathways were starting to repair themselves, albeit much slower than when she and Kurama were helping.

"I've read about these sort of things before in our clan scrolls," Ino shouted as they sprinted through the endless maze-like hallways of Naruto's subconscious. "We can lose them if we take cover in one of his memories!"

Sprinting through the halls, Ino led them past several doors before finding an acceptable one. "Here! This one looks like it should be a positive one!" Tsunade yanked the door open and they all through themselves in moments before the oncoming horde descended upon them. She slammed the door shut and turned around to lean against it, only to scream and slam her eyes shut at the sight of her naked son laying next to an equally ungarbed Anko and Kurenai.

"Why would you pick this one?!" She screeched.

"U-um… uh… i-it was the most recent happy memory," Ino stuttered, heat flooding her as she ogled Naruto's bare form as well as those of the two kunoichi by his side.

"Seems like it was," Kurama snickered, yelping when Tsunade gave him a swat on the head. "You're the one who's overreacting!" He shouted. "You've been his doctor for how long? Surely it's nothing you haven't seen before!"

"There is a difference between giving your son a physical, and being a voyeur to him losing his virginity!" Tsunade screeched.

"Either way, I think those things are gone now," Kurama grumbled. "Let's get out of here."

After finally pulling Ino away, the three of them made their way back out into the halls, repairing the pathways around them.

"So explain to me just what the hell those things were, Ino," Tsunade said as she ran a glowing green hand along the pipes, repairing them as they walked.

"If I understand correctly, sometimes when a person has dealt with a traumatic psychological issue, that trauma can manifest when their mindscape is accessed," Ino replied. "But I've never seen anything like that mob that chased us. Normally it only takes the form of one or two beings, usually those that are responsible for the trauma."

"Well, that would explain it," Tsunade concluded. "Naruto has an entire childhood filled with trauma, and a village's worth of abusers to remind him of it everyday."

"He's already faced off against them once," Kurama informed them. "Nowadays he manipulates them into being a sort of guard dog for his mind since I'm not here anymore. They purge any invading forces while he rests comfortably at the center of that sea of chakra."

"I knew Naruto was a trouble maker and had a rough childhood, but what could cause him to be subjected to that kind of thing?" Ino asked.

"You humans mistook him for me," Kurama grunted, pointedly looking away from them.

"You know he doesn't blame you, Kurama," Tsunade said.

"He doesn't blame anybody," Kurama snapped. "That's the problem. Ameterasu-sama took away his hatred, which is good and all, but now he is constantly trying to understand those who hurt him, rather than accept that sometimes people are cruel."

"You'd rather he became vengeful and bitter, like you were when we first met?" Tsunade suggested.

"I'D RATHER PEOPLE STOP TRYING TO HURT MY SON!" Kurama roared, his killing intent ratcheting up and causing even Tsunade to start sweating. His voice echoed down the halls, and Tsunade heard the mob start making its way back towards their position. "Let's go," he growled. "We've done enough, he's out of danger now."

Before Tsunade or Ino could voice their opinions, Kurama rapidly severed the connection, just as the dome around them started to disassemble. Without another word, Kurama wrapped Naruto's body in his tails and carefully placed him on his back before rocketing off into the woods, away from all of the onlookers. He ran faster than any shinobi, blazing through the forest before he happened upon the ruins of an old temple. With a few quick leaps, he navigated the wreckage and curled up with his son in the center chamber of the main temple, away from all the fear and hate Naruto had brought with him to their home simply by being his stupid, selfless, courageous self.

 **A/N: Not a lot happened here, but it is safe to say that the politics within Uzu have generally been handled thanks to Naruto's impressive display. Already he's absorbed another Tailed-Beast, nearly killing himself in the process, and we get to see some of Kurama's newfound paternal side. And even though he has all that chakra, he's still not godlike just yet. There's still a long way to go before he even remotely gets a handle on controlling that much all at once, and his Inner Dragon still needs some work too. Basically, even if he absorbed all the Tailed Beasts, at the moment that would only mean that he could outlast anybody in a battle of attrition, as he's constantly working on control and still can only use so much at once without burning out. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the splash of humor near the end and the two fight scenes, and I thank you all for reading and reviewing. TTFN**


	42. Chapter 42

In the month since Hinata had been reinstated as the Hyuga Clan Head the tensions within Uzu had eased significantally. After seeing him free the Branch House of the Caged Bird, most villagers finally accepted that Naruto was indeed a good person and on his way to being a great leader. Naruto as well had been busy with training to regain the control he lost thanks to the massive boost in chakra he received from absorbing Chommei's chakra, whom he had taken along with Isobu and Shukaku to some unknown safehaven, away from the village, while Kurama insisted on staying.

Naruto was training with Tenten, Lee, Hinata, and Haku, electing to spar with his friends rather than simply spend all his time training on his own. He had figured out how to mold Corona in the same way his armor did, changing its shape so that the metal sun at its top now rested in the center, covering his hand while he used it to practice bojutsu. He, Tenten, and Lee were caught in a three way bojutsu match when he jumped back, ducking a blunted arrow from Hinata while planting Corona in the ground and vaulting up to take control of the frozen senbon Haku fired at him with a sweeping kick, melting them into a single stream of water. Landing on his feet, Naruto shot the stream under Lee and Tenten's feet, creating a thin sheet of ice and causing them to slip momentarily, giving him the opening he needed to grab Lee and throw him into Tenten before they managed to direct their chakra to their feet and regain their balance. Lee and Tenten landed in a heap on the ground, and Naruto quickly stood and threw his arms out, sending a blast of fire in Haku's direction, melting the ice she had attempted to hurl at him with one hand while the other created a stream of wind and curled Hinata's arrow around him into the temporarily blinded Haku.

He was about to turn to Hinata when he sensed the presence of an ANBU agent, and called for a halt. The agent landed on the ground between him and Hinata, his boar mask hiding his surprise at being expected. He informed Naruto that he had been summoned to the Hokage's office. Naruto nodded and bid his friends farewell, giving Haku and Hinata a quick kiss before vanishing into thin air.

"Man, your boyfriend hits hard," Tenten groaned as she shoved Lee off of her and stumbled to her feet.

"He is most youthful!" Lee shouted, still dazed from flying head first into Tenten, who had tried unsuccessfully to bat him away with her staff.

*(OoO)*

Naruto arrived at the Hokage Tower and shifted Corona back to its original form before entering, greeting Karin along the way. He knocked on the door and waited until Tsunade called for him to enter to open the door, raising an eyebrow as he observed the others within the office.

The most surprising visitor was Obito, who was standing next to Kakashi, leaning on a crutch as he stared distantly at the ground beneath his feet. Jiraiya was standing next to Tsunade, watching Obito carefully with narrowed eyes while Konan and Itachi stood on the other side of the desk with a girl around Naruto's age with pale blonde hair that reached past her waist and lavender eyes. She was dressed in a lavender kimono and had a small golden crown tying her hair back. Naruto frowned at the way she seemed to look down her nose at them all, sensing more than just arrogance in her eyes, but put that aside for later as he turned to his mother.

"You summoned me, Hokage-sama?" He said as he bowed before walking over and giving Konan a quick kiss on the cheek in greeting.

"I did," Tsunade said. "It's time for you to head to the Land of Demons."

"I take it you've found me a mission to disguise our reason for being there?"

"I did. This is Shion, she's a priestess from the Land of Demons-"

"I was blessed with a vision from Ameterasu-sama herself," Shion said, cutting Tsunade off. "You will be accompanying me through the Land of Demons as I purify the land."

"As I was saying," Tsunade said through gritted teeth. "You will be using Shion's pilgrimedge as a cover to investigate the Land of Demons and locate two primary goals."

"What would those be?" Naruto asked, not even sparing Shion a glance as she huffed snootily.

"We have determined that Orochimaru has a hideout located within the Land of Demons, you are to investigate and use discretion to determine what actions to take regarding what you find there. Additionally, Obito has decided to provide us with some information in exchange for being freed into the custody of Kakashi, so long as they always have a member of ANBU watching them."

"How magnanimous," Naruto said, careful to not let a shred of emotion into his voice as he turned to Obito.

"Kakashi has been keeping me company for these past several months," Obito said. "He's told me stories about you and your exploits, and after hearing about what you have endured, I came to the conclusion that the ideals Madara and I followed were wrong. I can't take back what I've done, but I can start to help stop anything else from happening… I had a base of my own near where you will be. Inside of it, you will find the extracted Sharingan of every Uchiha I killed when I helped Itachi that night. I'd ask that you destroy them before anyone else gets their hands on them."

"What kind of defences are we looking at?" Naruto asked.

"With my chakra gone, almost all of the defencive seals have been undone. There will be a few traps, but those were there before I found the place, and I wouldn't know their locations as I always used my Kamui to transport myself directly there."

"Alright," Naruto nodded. "If what you say proves to be true, then I'll at least offer my support to you being released into Kakashi's custody."

"Itachi, Konan, and Jiraiya are all going to accompany you on this mission," Tsunade said. "With the threat of Yukiyama's men being in the Land of Demons, on top of the very real possibility of encountering Orochimaru, you're going to need some real heavy hitters. Remember that to get to the Land of Demons, you're going to need to sail north straight through the naval theatre of the war between the Lands of Earth and Lightning, and you have a civilian to protect, so take as few risks as possible, understand?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Naruto, Jiraiya, Konan, and Itachi exclaimed.

"Good, now the last thing you'll need are these." Tsunade reached into her desk and pulled out several forehead protectors and strips of burnt orange fabric. Naruto grabbed the forehead protector and smiled as he ran his thumb over the engraved swirl on the face of it. "Those forehead protectors will prove your identity as shinobi of Uzu, while the orange sashes are evidence that you are on a mission for the Coalition as opposed to your village. The hope is that if our forces wear these sashes as they attempt to help those caught in the middle of wars, people will start to associate them with defenders of the peace rather than just another invading force."

"Yazawa and I even came up with a few clever seals in case anyone tries to impersonate us as well," Jiraiya added proudly.

"This is all well and good," Shion interrupted. "But could we hurry and prepare to leave. My other bodyguards all died on the way here, so I'm stuck here until you all are finished with your petty affairs."

Naruto didn't respond to her whining as he turned to his teammates. "Grab what you need and meet me at the gates in an hour," he ordered before vanishing to go prepare and say some goodbyes.

*(OoO)*

"So where are we headed to first?" Jiraiya asked as they sat below deck on a small merchant ship later that night. Getting to the coast had proved to be fairly easy as Naruto had transported them all to a port city within the Land of Hot Water, where he was quickly recognised by the local shinobi forces. They had all treated him with respect as they helped him find and charter a ship, and by the end of the day, they had already made their way onto the open sea.

"Our official mission takes precedence," Naruto said as he unfurled a map on the taple between them. "So, we'll make sure to plot a course that takes us from village to village until we get close to Orochimaru's lair, here." He pointed at a section of map near the western border of the Land of Demons that looked to be mainly comprised of dry, arid land. "After that, we'll head east, visiting some more villages and cities before stopping at this one," he pointed to a larger city near the center of the country, surrounded by thick forests and winding rivers. "You and Hasa-chan will then remain there, protecting Shion at the temple to Ameterasu while I place a Hiraishin and head back to Konoha, where I'll grab a Hyuga and an Inuzuka to join me and Itachi-sensei as we search the area around where Obito said his old lair used to be."

"What exactly will Shion be doing in these places?" Konan asked.

"She won't say," Itachi replied. "She only said that she needs to cleanse them, and that Naruto has to be with her when she does."

"I don't like the sound of that," Jiraiya muttered.

"If Ameterasu-sama really came to her in a vision," Naruto said, "then I at least have to do as she says."

"As long as you're the one who's dealing with her, then fine."

"She's not being all that difficult now," Itachi noted.

"That's because she's asleep," Konan deadpanned. "And she refused to go to her cabin unless Naruto-kun was with her. If he wasn't so proficient with clones, we'd never get anything done."

Before anything else could be said on the subject, a loud bang split the air and the ship rocked violently to the side. Screams filled the air as they all snapped into action.

"Konan, secure Shion," Naruto ordered. "Itachi, Jiraiya, get to topside and find out what just hit us. Whatever it was pierced the hull and we're taking on water. I'll join you after I've taken care of that."

They all nodded and Naruto sprinted out the door, running straight into Shion as she tried to go investigate what was going on. Naruto grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her to Konan, ignoring her protests as he rushed down the stairs to join the workers trying desperately to stem the flow of the rapidly raising water.

"Where's the breech?" Naruto shouted.

"It's near the engine room!" One of the sailors replied. "But that's already flooded and we can't get in there to do any repairs. We're dead in the wat-"

He was cut off as the wall next to him exploded and a cannonball rocketed through the room, separating his head from his shoulders as it buried itself in the opposite wall while wooden and metal shrapnel tore through several other men. Acting fast, Naruto shoved his hand in the rapidly growing stream of water, ignoring the sounds of battle taking place over head as he created a thick layer of ice to plug the hole.

"If I plug the other hole and drain the water can you get the engine running?" Naruto asked to another of the stunned workers.

"M-maybe," the man whimpered. "B-b-but it'll take time, and we're sitting ducks."

"My men and I will do our best to protect the ship while you get it up and running again," Naruto said. "Just be ready to get started on those repairs!" With that he took a deep breath and dove into the frigid water. It was a simple matter to manipulate the currents to carry him into the engine room and locate the hole. Once there, he created a wall of ice behind him to prevent anymore water from entering and swam through it, the rushing water doing nothing to him as he flexed his chakra. Once outside the ship, he oriented himself to plant his feet on the hull and used his wood release to wrap them securely to the side of the ship. Idly taking note of the beginnings of the need to take a breath, Naruto closed his eyes and focused on the energy around him.

Opening his eyes once he was properly in Sage Mode, he raised his arms and started to sway in place as he seized hold of the water within the engine room and forced it back out of the ship, sealing the hole with his crystal release as he felt the resulting vacuum strain and crack the wall of ice within the ship.

Confident that the engine room, while still filled with nearly a foot of water, was now accessible, he released the holds on his feet and rocketed out of the water, propelled by a swirling water spout of his own creation as he rose high above the ship. From his position in the air, Naruto could easily see that there relatively small merchant vessel was flanked on both ends by two massive battleships, both of which were locked in a naval battle with each other, as well as trying to board his ship. He created two clones and activated his Kunshugan, freezing time just as both ships released a second volley of cannonballs aimed both at each other and the ship caught between them. He took his time to scan every inch of the battle below him, his clones covering his blind spots, and noted with some frustration that not only were both ships manned by shinobi and samurai alike, they both had bloodline users aboard them as well.

The ship from the Land of Earth had a man there dressed in full battle armor who manipulated a mixture of both air and earth chakra to seemingly take direct control of the metal cannonballs, amplifying the force with which they flew through the air. Memorizing the basics of the proper mixture of the two elements, Naruto turned his attention to the ship from the Land of Lightning. While their bloodline user wasn't directly amplifying the cannon balls, Naruto did notice that the projectiles were covered in rudimentary seals that channeled lightning chakra through them to boost their piercing power. Instead, the bloodline user from Kumo used a mixture of water and lightning chakra to create beam-like attacks that pierced straight through the hull of Naruto's ship and continued on through the metal sides of the Earth ship.

Closing his eyes, Naruto reached out with his chakra while replaying memories from his time with the dragons.

 _"Remember, Naruto-kun," Ryukoho said. "Earth is a constant, just because you cannot see it, or it has changed state does not mean it is not there."_

Dropping onto the deck of the boat, Naruto shot his hands out, shouting as he stopped the cannonballs in there tracks. Using just his earth chakra, he seized control of the cannonballs and brought them all up over himself where he fired them at the Lightning ship, intercepting the beams from the bloodline user and using the seals on the cannonballs to redireact the lightning chakra through them all before releasing it as a singular bolt of lightning which struck the Earth ship at the same time as the cannonballs slammed all along the hull of the Lightning ship.

"The engine room is clear of water," Naruto said as he ran over to Jiraiya, while Itachi dispatched an Earth samurai before spinning and beheading a Cloud shinobi. "They're starting repairs now."

"I don't think there will be time for that," Jiraiya said. "Look at those Cloud shinobi on the Lightning ship."

"Four of them are channeling their own lightning chakra into the one with the Storm Release," Itachi observed, his Sharingan spinning.

"They're getting ready to use Limelight," Jiraiya said. "It's the strongest Lightning Release technique there is. If we're still here when that thing goes off, it'll fry us along with everything else in the water."

"Well there goes using one of my dragons," Naruto growled, taking a deep breath. "Ero-Sennin, create as many barriers as you can to protect the people on our ship. Itachi-sensei, get ready with the strongest Wind Release technique you know, I'll handle the bulk of it."

Both Jiraiya and Itachi looked like they wanted to protest, but they also had enough experience to know that there was no point in wasting time arguing. Meanwhile, Naruto took a deep breath and summoned both Corona and Eclipse. He focused on the chakra within Corona and shot it directly up into the air, closing his eyes as he felt the Storm Release user finish gathering the necessary chakra, vaguely noting that the other four shinobi were now dead, having drained all of their chakra. He unleashed Limelight, and the world became engulfed in blinding white light as the attack coursed through the air before being drawn towards Naruto's pillar of chakra like it was a lightning rod.

Naruto screamed in pain as the monumental amount of electricity flowed down through Corona into him. His entire body felt like it was burning up from the inside as he raised his right arm, ignoring the fact that his robe was flaming from the extreme heat of the energy stored within him, and used the point of Eclipse to guide the lightning itself through his body while the chakra suffusing the attack gathered within Corona's jewel. With a final shout of pain, he pointed Eclipse at the Earth ship, firing the accumulated electrical energy that made up Limelight at it in the form of a cataclysmic lightning bolt, while from Corona he sent the chakra from the attack back in a beam of energy tore straight through the Lightning ship. Both ships were simultaneously caught in a chain of explosions that rocked through them and filled the air with fire and shrapnel.

Naruto barely had time to extinguish the flames on his robes before the strain of redirecting so much electrical energy got to him and he collapsed in exhaustion.

*(OoO)*

Naruto was still asleep when they made landfall in the Land of Demons, and Jiraiya quickly took point, pricking Naruto's thumb and summoning Ryuda –who was now forced to remain in his transformed state as he had grown exponentially in his two years of training –to carry him, an extremely protective Konan, and a loudly insistent Shion through the murky forest as they headed towards the temple.

"So, I think it's high time you tell us exactly what you meant by cleansing these cities," Jiraiya said.

"That information isn't relative to mere bodyguards such as yourselves," Shion huffed as Konan pulled Naruto closer to her chest. "Ameterasu-sama has chosen myself and Naruto to accomplish her holy work. The beast we ride upon is proof of that."

"Oi, Blondie, a little respect wouldn't kill ya, you know," Ryuda growled.

"The fact you can talk doesn't make you worthy of much more than a beast of burden, Dragon," Shion shot back. "Maybe you think too highly of yourself." She yelped as Ryuda curled his thick tail up and swatted her right off his back, bringing the group to a stop as she fell into a thick pussle of mud.

"Now, now, Ryuda-kun, that wasn't very polite," Konan mockingly admonished.

Ryuda huffed and turned his head away as Itachi helped Shion back to her feet. "Can't believe Naruto risked his hide to save you."

"He didn't risk anything," Shion countered. "I would have forseen it. We were destined to emerge from that situation unscathed."

" _Unscathed?!_ " Ryuda roared, rounding on her and baring his massive teeth. "He nearly fried himself and is unconscious on my back. I don't call that unscathed!"

"That's enough, Ryuda," Naruto croaked as he finally awoke. He grimaced and smiled as Konan immediately hugged him, returning the action best he could. Once she finally let go of him, he took stock of himself, tearing off and burning the charred remains of his robe as he readjusted himself on Ryuda's back and reached down to pull Shion up to sit behind him while Konan sat in front. A quick wave of his arms cleared the mud from her and he nodded to continue walking as he spoke. "Shion, I've been briefed on your abilities to forsee the future, and, to be frank, I'm not gonna be putting much stock in them."

"You would reject having the ability to foresee events?" Shion asked. "I was under the impression you were some sort of prodigious tactician."

"I would rather not rely on you for that sort of thing," Naruto replied. "Our job is to protect you as you cleanse the temples and conduct our own investigations when we have the time. If I became reliant on your visions –which I've been informed are rather morbid and uncomfortable for you to experience –then I would become either complacent or paranoid, neither of which would help me do my job." Shion said nothing, turning her attention instead to Naruto's bare back in front of him. She raised her head only when she saw him shift in his seat and speak more quietly so only she, Ryuda, and Konan could hear. "I know you're hiding beneath that snooty mask of yours, and I won't ask you to expose yourself to us completely, but you will start showing me and my shinobi at the very least a professional amount of respect, am I understood?"

Shion gulped and nodded, his slitted pupils drawing her in and taking the fight out from her. They continued their treck mostly in silence, with only a quiet conversation between Naruto and Konan that Shion really thought would have been better suited for a more private setting, and the occasional report or question from Jiraiya and Itachi to break the monotony. Soon enough, the gentle swaying from Ryuda's walking and the comforting heat radiating from Naruto's back lulled her to sleep.

While she slept, Naruto spoke with Konan and the other girls who were available at the moment. He tried to make an effort to contact them whenever he could, and was content to simply listen to the sounds of their voices through his seal as Anko bragged about winning the little bet they all had going. He closed his eyes and rested his chin on Konan's shoulder, chest rumbling happily as inhaled the scent of jasmine and vanilla coming off his girlfriend.

"I think he's asleep," Konan murmured.

 _"That's good,"_ Guren replied. _"In that case, then Anko can stop bragging and we can actually get down to business."_

"And what business would that be?"

 _"The fact that dog boy's sister is sniffing around Naruto-kun, and we need to figure out what to do about her,"_ Tayuya said.

"Wait, another girl is trying to get close to him?" Konan asked.

 _"Right, you've been out on so many missions lately that you weren't really around for that development,"_ Kurenai said. _"Kiba-kun spoke to his mother, and she told him that Hana may see Naruto as her desired mate. That's why she has been acting so irrationally, because her rational brain is clashing with her more… feral instincts."_

 _"Why would Kiba tell you that?"_ Anko asked.

 _"Because, not only am I Naruto's girlfriend, but I'm Kiba's sensei as well, so he must have figured that I would be the best one to go to about that situation."_

 _"That still raises the question of what we do about it,"_ Haku said.

 _"I think we should let them try and figure it out,"_ Hinata replied. _"He doesn't talk about it, but Naruto's as aware as we are that he needs at least two more wives by the time he reaches the age of majority. He's the heir to three clans within the CRA. No matter what, he needs to at least have an equal amount of brides for each clan he is a part of. We were all okay with him pursuing each other, and we've grown closer because of it, and I'd rather he be with two more girls who make him happy than be forced into two marriages that may put strain on the rest of our relationships with him."_

"Hinata-chan does have a point," Konan replied. "And considering how tightly this priestess is holding on to him, we may have also found our contender for the ninth spot. With her and another clan heir as his mates, Naruto will have an opportunity to create more powerful political ties than ever."

 _"God, our lives are weird,"_ Tayuya quipped. _"I honestly did not think that I would one day be discussing the political advantages of my boyfriend's harem when Orochimaru picked me as his bodyguard."_

 _"It's certainly been an unconventional turn of events,"_ Guren agreed. _"But I'd rather be with Naruto-kun, who sees us all as his precious people rather than mere objects to be collected like many other men who take part in the CRA would."_

 _"Not to mention I overheard Shizune telling Kisame that he's been working on a way to create a more stable clone, though she said he wouldn't say why,"_ Anko added. _"Though after the night Kurenai and I shared with him, I can guess why he might want to be able to be multiple places at once."_

"If we are really going to go through with this, then perhaps we should confront Hana and Shion before they unintentionally ruin their chances, or hurt Naruto-kun," Konan suggested.

 _"Good idea, Konan,"_ Kurenai said. _"I'm going to be back in Uzu by the end of the week, so I can help with handling Hana, while you deal with Shion."_

 _"You two are probably the best bets considering Anko-chan and me might not be able to stop ourselves from going a little too far in teaching them both some manners,"_ Tayuya said, the grin clear in her voice while Anko could be heard high-fiving her over the voice seals.

"Alright, we're about to stop for the night," Konan announced. "I have to go before anything else happens to ruin our day." They all bid their farewells, and Konan deactivated her voice seal as Ryuda came to a stop just behind Itachi and Jiraiya who were already getting started on setting up their camp and the surrounding protections respectively.

They had just finished setting up when Naruto snapped awake and immediately extinguished the campfire holding his hand over Shion's mouth to silence her as he dragged her off Ryuda and dismissed him. Once he was assured Shion would stay quiet, he activated his voice seal to whisper quietly from his hiding place among the bushes.

"Kakuzu's back. And he's not alone."

 **A/N: And now we start getting to work. Naruto's finally getting to start working on striking back at Yukiyama and his group, as well as investigating Orochimaru. On top of that, he's now gained two new elemental releases to start training in, and is now shirtless. The girls have reached a consensus on what to do about potential new additions to the harem, and we now know that Anko is one hell of a braggart, though she and Kurenai still haven't gotten around to resolving who gets the spoils. Anyway, I hope you guys like it, and I'll see you next time!**


	43. Chapter 43

Kurenai hummed to herself as she strolled through the streets of Uzu. She had just gotten back from an ambassadorial mission in the Land of Waves, and had decided to get a head start on confronting Hana before Tayuya caught wind of anything. She was just making her way to the newly constructed Inuzuka compound, smiling as she watched the dogs run through the enclosed fields surrounding the compound that Naruto had helped in the creation of. She was still curious as to why he constantly offered to help Tazuna and his men with the various construction projects in and around the rapidly growing village, but insisted on rarely using his formidable abilities save for large projects like creating the fields for the Inuzuka dogs or the Nara deer. There was probably a good reason behind him electing to grab a tool belt and simply help out, only occasionally using his clones to help when there were certain time constraints, when he had the ability to build a perfect two-story house with his wood release within minutes, she just hoped that people didn't start resenting him for it.

Her thoughts were broken when Tayuya hopped down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, never missing a step as she joined Kurenai on the way to the Inuzuka compound.

"You weren't planning on paying Inu-chan a visit without me, were you, Kure-chan?" She asked sweetly.

Kurenai opened her mouth to reply when the subject of their discussion appeared as well, joining her on her other side, a feral grin on her face.

"My ears were burning," Hana said. "You two ladies talking about me?"

 _This can't end well,_ Kurenai thought to herself as she ran a hand over her face.

*(OoO)*

Konan grit her teeth as she carried a frozen Shion through the air above the forest towards the first temple. She had always known, deep down, that she would undoubtedly have to face Nagato someday, but that had in no way prepared her for seeing his Human Path so far from Amegakure. Though not happy about it, she understood Naruto's reasoning for keeping her from being seen by him, as they wanted to keep the fact that several defectors from Akatsuki resided within Uzu a secret for as long as possible. Gritting her teeth, she swerved through the air as a massive wooden spike rose from the ground in an attempt to impale her.

"My, my, I think we've found an angel."

"So this is where the girl disappeared to. Perhaps she knows what happened to Tobi."

"Zetsu, what are you doing here?" Konan demanded as she turned to face the flytrap-looking creature.

"You're little friend has become a tad unhinged since you and a few others disappeared," White Zetsu giggled. "We're just keeping an eye on him unti-" Black Zetsu was cut off as Konan unleashed a flurry of paper shuriken that shred through him before he melted into the tree to evade them. Or at least, he tried to.

The second one of her shuriken managed to graze him, Zetsu's body started to swell and become covered in bark as branches exploded out from his white side. The black side attempted to escape, but Konan fired several more shuriken, the seals Naruto had placed on them now glowing as she activated them and imbued the white half with more and more natural energy. In a matter of moments, the creature was consumed within a tree that had grown around its body, and Konan breathed a sigh of relief before hurrying back towards the temple, where she was supposed to meet the others.

She and Shion waited there breathlessly, ignoring the priests as they attempted to get them settled.

"Why would he split us up like that?" Shion demanded.

"Because, it was the best way to keep you safe and take care of at least one member of Akatsuki," Konan replied.

"Why would he be so concerned about keeping me safe?"

"Besides the fact that protecting you is our mission?" Konan replied, a hint of sarcasm touching her voice.

"We both know that you don't take that mission seriously," Shion shot back. "It's simply a cover to investigate the Land of Demons without raising any eyebrows."

"That doesn't mean Naruto-kun doesn't care about your safety," Konan replied. "Or that he doesn't take your mission seriously, especially if it came from Ameterasu-sama herself."

"My visions never showed me why he was so important in her plans," Shion muttered.

"Sit down," Konan beckoned. "I'll tell you what I can."

*(OoO)*

Naruto grunted as Kakuzu sent him flying through a tree while Itachi dodged blasts of lightning from one of the grotesque creatures that had sprouted from his back. His clones had already transported Jiraiya and the Path of Pain to a predetermined location far away in the Land of Fire, where Tsunade and Yazawa would join him in fighting the body. With Konan's help, they had already come up with a plan in case they ever ran into one of Nagato's Paths, and he was confident three S-Class fighters could take one severely weakened Path of Pain, assuming the system of seals, he, Jiraiya, and Yazawa had prepared to make Nagato overconfident worked and the corpse puppet was still within his control so far away from wherever he had situated himself to control the bodies. In the meantime, he had managed to sense Zetsu watching them, and had provided Konan with a seal to put on her paper that he had developed from Orochimaru's Cursed Seal. The seal would allow the papers to lace themselves with natural energy, which should contain enough life force to slow Zetsu down and eventually cause him to lose control of Hashirama's cells.

Finally, he and Itachi were left dealing with the second of the immortal members of the Akatsuki, and Naruto could see why Kakuzu had given the First Hokage a run for his money back in the day. Pulling himself to his feet, Naruto grunted and shot his hands forwards just in time to block a ball of fire, growling as his own stream of flame was easily extinguished by a deluge of water from another of the strange masks on Kakuzu's back.

"Itachi-sensei!" Naruto shouted as he cartwheeled over a gust of razor-sharp wind. "Trade with me!"

Itachi nodded and jumped back just as the deformed golem made of string opened its mouth and released another spear of lightning. Naruto's eyes narrowed, even as he rushed in and intercepted the attack, redirecting the lightning at Kakuzu in a bolt of lightning that blasted him off his feet. It seemed that while Kakuzu had a veritable affinity for each of the elemental releases, each mask was only capable of one technique. His theory was proven when the golem screeched in anger and leapt over him, unleashing another spear of electricity. Naruto once again redirected the lightning itself, using the chakra from the technique to insulate himself so as not to cause a repeat of what happened to him less then a day earlier. Kakuzu didn't have time to dodge as the bolt of lightning struck him at near lightspeed, just as he was preparing to use his water mask. He screamed in pain as the heart within the mask was incinerated along with his black cloak, revealing his bare, stitched up chest.

Itachi immediately followed up with an onslaught of slashes with his ninja-to while using his Sharingan to constantly evade the nigh-unstoppable blasts of wind-augmented flames from his masks.

"It's seems that you're deserving of the large bounty posted in the Bingo Books, Itachi," Kakuzu noted as another massive gout of fire enveloped the area where Itachi had landed from his previous attack.

"It's a shame you'll never collect on it," Itachi replied from behind Kakuzu as he shoved his blade through the mask containing Kakuzu's wind heart.

Kakuzu roared and tried to turn around, only to be blasted by yet another bolt of lightning and sent careening into a nearby rock formation. Growling in frustration, he recalled his lightning heart into his body. Naruto landed next to Itachi and watched as the threads holding Kakuzu together unravelled and his body parts shot out, expanding as more and more threads coiled together until he had nearly tripled in size, his two remaining masks floating amongst the threads above each of his shoulders.

"This is far from over, Itachi!" He shouted as he released a deluge of fire and electricity from the masks floating above him while jagged spikes of earth raced towards the two of them.

Naruto grunted as one of the earth spikes sliced through his side and leapt away to safety only to curse as he looked around and found Kakuzu nowhere to be found.

"Come on," Itachi said, "we need to check on the others and see how Jiraiya-sama fared against Pain."

*(OoO)*

Tsunade grit her teeth as she healed the gash on her leg from where the bald, Rinnegan-bearing corpse-puppet had slashed her with its serrated tail. Between herself, Jiraiya, and Yazawa, they had made short work of what Konan had informed them was Pain's Asura Path, but the mechanical monster had still packed far more of a punch than any of them could have anticipated. The fact that it wouldn't be long before Pain acquired a replacement for the one they had destroyed was a sobering thought, but she managed to push it aside as she listened to Naruto's report on his and Itachi's fight with the other member of Akatsuki.

Something felt wrong about the way that Kakuzu had just left in the middle of their battle. Most people would be smart to turn tail and run rather than face Itachi Uchiha alone – let alone with back up – but Kakuzu wasn't most people. He had gone toe to toe with her grandfather at one point in time, after all. Jiraiya seemed to feel similarly, but there wasn't much Tsunade could do about it at the moment, and between him, Itachi, Konan, and Naruto, they should be able to handle whatever came their way. Instead, she focused on figuring out what to do with the gnarled hunk of wood that was Zetsu – Obito's partner, and their only other connection to Madara Uchiha.

"I should get back," Yazawa said as he stood up and brushed the dirt and dust from their battle off his armor. "The border skirmishes are getting worse, and I worry every minute I'm not on the battle field is another minute that someone is going to attack."

"We should too," Jiraiya added as three clones of Naruto appeared before them. "Akatsuki showing up in the country we happen to be investigating is too much of a coincidence for my taste."

"Report to me if you find anything," Tsunade said before the clone transported her back to Uzu along with the remains of the puppet. She smiled and gave the clone a peck on the forehead before it dispelled and sighed as she turned to face her new village, taking a moment to enjoy the calm breeze through her hair.

 **A/N: So, while this chapter is short, and not a lot really happens, I decided to post it more as a statement to let you guys know that I haven't abandoned it. I'm going to need to go through it again and try to remember what I had planned, as well as split my time between this,** ** _No More Games,_** **and** ** _The First Spark_** **\- my original piece that I've started on Wattpad, so updates will be much slower. Regardless, there will be updates, so look forward to those.**


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